Explore the vast range of titles available.

Reproducible science requires transparent reporting. The ARRIVE guidelines (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) were originally developed in 2010 to improve the reporting of animal research. They consist of a checklist of information to include in publications describing in vivo experiments to enable others to scrutinise the work adequately, evaluate its methodological rigour, and reproduce the methods and results. Despite considerable levels of endorsement by funders and journals over the years, adherence to the guidelines has been inconsistent, and the anticipated improvements in the quality of reporting in animal research publications have not been achieved. Here, we introduce ARRIVE 2.0. The guidelines have been updated and information reorganised to facilitate their use in practice. We used a Delphi exercise to prioritise and divide the items of the guidelines into 2 sets, the \"ARRIVE Essential 10,\" which constitutes the minimum requirement, and the \"Recommended Set,\" which describes the research context. This division facilitates improved reporting of animal research by supporting a stepwise approach to implementation. This helps journal editors and reviewers verify that the most important items are being reported in manuscripts. We have also developed the accompanying Explanation and Elaboration (E&E) document, which serves (1) to explain the rationale behind each item in the guidelines, (2) to clarify key concepts, and (3) to provide illustrative examples. We aim, through these changes, to help ensure that researchers, reviewers, and journal editors are better equipped to improve the rigour and transparency of the scientific process and thus reproducibility.

Life on Planet Earth, as we know it, revolves around adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a universal energy storing molecule. The metabolism of ATP requires a low cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, and hence tethers these two molecules together. The exceedingly low cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (which in all life forms is kept around 50–100 nM) forms the basis for a universal intracellular signalling system in which Ca2+ acts as a second messenger. Maintenance of transmembrane Ca2+ gradients, in turn, requires ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport, thus further emphasizing the inseparable links between these two substances. Ca2+ signalling controls the most fundamental processes in the living organism, from heartbeat and neurotransmission to cell energetics and secretion. The versatility and plasticity of Ca2+ signalling relies on cell specific Ca2+ signalling toolkits, remodelling of which underlies adaptive cellular responses. Alterations of these Ca2+ signalling toolkits lead to aberrant Ca2+ signalling which is fundamental for the pathophysiology of numerous diseases from acute pancreatitis to neurodegeneration. This paper introduces a theme issue on this topic, which arose from a Royal Society Theo Murphy scientific meeting held in March 2016. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolution brings Ca2+ and ATP together to control life and death’.

Abstract George Palade’s pioneering electron microscopical studies of the pancreatic acinar cell revealed the intracellular secretory pathway from the rough endoplasmic reticulum at the base of the cell to the zymogen granules in the apical region. Palade also described for the first time the final stage of exocytotic enzyme secretion into the acinar lumen. The contemporary studies of the mechanism by which secretion is acutely controlled, and how the pancreas is destroyed in the disease acute pancreatitis, rely on monitoring molecular events in the various identified pancreatic cell types in the living pancreas. These studies have been carried out with the help of high-resolution fluorescence recordings, often in conjunction with patch clamp current measurements. In such studies we have gained much detailed information about the regulatory events in the exocrine pancreas in health as well as disease, and new therapeutic opportunities have been revealed.

ObjectiveAcute pancreatitis is caused by toxins that induce acinar cell calcium overload, zymogen activation, cytokine release and cell death, yet is without specific drug therapy. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated but the mechanism not established.DesignWe investigated the mechanism of induction and consequences of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) in the pancreas using cell biological methods including confocal microscopy, patch clamp technology and multiple clinically representative disease models. Effects of genetic and pharmacological inhibition of the MPTP were examined in isolated murine and human pancreatic acinar cells, and in hyperstimulation, bile acid, alcoholic and choline-deficient, ethionine-supplemented acute pancreatitis.ResultsMPTP opening was mediated by toxin-induced inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptor calcium channel release, and resulted in diminished ATP production, leading to impaired calcium clearance, defective autophagy, zymogen activation, cytokine production, phosphoglycerate mutase 5 activation and necrosis, which was prevented by intracellular ATP supplementation. When MPTP opening was inhibited genetically or pharmacologically, all biochemical, immunological and histopathological responses of acute pancreatitis in all four models were reduced or abolished.ConclusionsThis work demonstrates the mechanism and consequences of MPTP opening to be fundamental to multiple forms of acute pancreatitis and validates the MPTP as a drug target for this disease.

Alcohol-related acute pancreatitis can be mediated by a combination of alcohol and fatty acids (fatty acid ethyl esters) and is initiated by a sustained elevation of the Ca ²⁺ concentration inside pancreatic acinar cells ([Ca ²⁺] ᵢ), due to excessive release of Ca ²⁺ stored inside the cells followed by Ca ²⁺ entry from the interstitial fluid. The sustained [Ca ²⁺] ᵢ elevation activates intracellular digestive proenzymes resulting in necrosis and inflammation. We tested the hypothesis that pharmacological blockade of store-operated or Ca ²⁺ release-activated Ca ²⁺ channels (CRAC) would prevent sustained elevation of [Ca ²⁺] ᵢ and therefore protease activation and necrosis. In isolated mouse pancreatic acinar cells, CRAC channels were activated by blocking Ca ²⁺ ATPase pumps in the endoplasmic reticulum with thapsigargin in the absence of external Ca ²⁺. Ca ²⁺ entry then occurred upon admission of Ca ²⁺ to the extracellular solution. The CRAC channel blocker developed by GlaxoSmithKline, GSK-7975A, inhibited store-operated Ca ²⁺ entry in a concentration-dependent manner within the range of 1 to 50 μM (IC ₅₀ = 3.4 μM), but had little or no effect on the physiological Ca ²⁺ spiking evoked by acetylcholine or cholecystokinin. Palmitoleic acid ethyl ester (100 μM), an important mediator of alcohol-related pancreatitis, evoked a sustained elevation of [Ca ²⁺] ᵢ, which was markedly reduced by CRAC blockade. Importantly, the palmitoleic acid ethyl ester-induced trypsin and protease activity as well as necrosis were almost abolished by blocking CRAC channels. There is currently no specific treatment of pancreatitis, but our data show that pharmacological CRAC blockade is highly effective against toxic [Ca ²⁺] ᵢ elevation, necrosis, and trypsin/protease activity and therefore has potential to effectively treat pancreatitis.

ObjectiveCaffeine reduces toxic Ca2+ signals in pancreatic acinar cells via inhibition of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R)-mediated signalling, but effects of other xanthines have not been evaluated, nor effects of xanthines on experimental acute pancreatitis (AP). We have determined effects of caffeine and its xanthine metabolites on pancreatic acinar IP3R-mediated Ca2+ signalling and experimental AP.DesignIsolated pancreatic acinar cells were exposed to secretagogues, uncaged IP3 or toxins that induce AP and effects of xanthines, non-xanthine phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors and cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cAMP/cGMP) determined. The intracellular cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]C), mitochondrial depolarisation and necrosis were assessed by confocal microscopy. Effects of xanthines were evaluated in caerulein-induced AP (CER-AP), taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate-induced AP (TLCS-AP) or palmitoleic acid plus ethanol-induced AP (fatty acid ethyl ester AP (FAEE-AP)). Serum xanthines were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.ResultsCaffeine, dimethylxanthines and non-xanthine PDE inhibitors blocked IP3-mediated Ca2+ oscillations, while monomethylxanthines had little effect. Caffeine and dimethylxanthines inhibited uncaged IP3-induced Ca2+ rises, toxin-induced Ca2+ release, mitochondrial depolarisation and necrotic cell death pathway activation; cAMP/cGMP did not inhibit toxin-induced Ca2+ rises. Caffeine significantly ameliorated CER-AP with most effect at 25 mg/kg (seven injections hourly); paraxanthine or theophylline did not. Caffeine at 25 mg/kg significantly ameliorated TLCS-AP and FAEE-AP. Mean total serum levels of dimethylxanthines and trimethylxanthines peaked at >2 mM with 25 mg/kg caffeine but at <100 µM with 25 mg/kg paraxanthine or theophylline.ConclusionsCaffeine and its dimethylxanthine metabolites reduced pathological IP3R-mediated pancreatic acinar Ca2+ signals but only caffeine ameliorated experimental AP. Caffeine is a suitable starting point for medicinal chemistry.