Figure 7.

ATG4B promotes pathological responses of ex vivo alcoholic pancreatitis. Same as in Fig. 6, mouse pancreatic acinar cells were transduced with adenoviral vectors expressing shRNA against ATG4B (shATG4B) or control/“scrambled” shRNA (shCtrl) (A and B); or vectors bearing mCherry-ATG4B or mCherry alone (with no transgene) (C and D). Cells were incubated for 4 h with and without 100 mM EtOH; 100 pM CCK was added to the cells, as indicated, for the last 30 min of incubation. A and C: trypsin activity was measured in cell homogenates with a fluorogenic assay. B and D: necrosis was quantified as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) releases into the extracellular medium. Values are means ± SE from three individual cell preparations, normalized to control (i.e., untreated cells transduced with control shRNA or “empty” mCherry adenoviruses). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001; one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparison test. CCK, cholecystokinin; EtOH, ethanol.