Regulation of cholecystokinin-mediated amylase secretion by leptin in rat pancreatic acinar tumor cell line AR42J

Expression of the long form of the leptin receptor, the isoform that is considered to have full signaling capability, has been reported in the central nervous system and several peripheral cell types. However, only a few cell lines have been shown to express the long form of the receptor. AR42J, a cell line derived from azaserine-treated rat pancreas, is a common model for pancreatic acinar cell secretion. In this study, the presence of leptin-receptor variants and leptin action was evaluated in this cell line. Messenger RNAs for both the long and a short form of the leptin receptor were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in AR42J cells, and authenticity of the receptor was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Competitive binding studies demonstrated that binding of radiolabeled leptin was specific and did not cross-react with cholecystokinin (CCK). Biologic effects of leptin on amylase release and intracellular calcium mobilization were further assessed in the presence and the absence of CCK, a known pancreatic secretagogue. Although leptin alone (< or =200 ng/ml) did not affect basal amylase release, it inhibited amylase release stimulated by 1 nM CCK by 48%. Leptin alone had no significant effect on calcium mobilization. However, pretreatment of leptin (10 and 100 ng/ml) enhanced calcium responses stimulated by CCK. These data demonstrate that the rat pancreatic tumor cell line AR42J expresses a functional form of the leptin receptor that modulates the action of CCK in calcium mobilization and amylase release.