Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1962 Feb 1;12(2):277–296. doi: 10.1083/jcb.12.2.277

THE DEGENERATIVE CHANGES IN PANCREATIC ACINAR CELLS CAUSED BY DL-ETHIONINE

Lawrence Herman 1, Patrick J Fitzgerald 1
PMCID: PMC2106026  PMID: 13906694

Abstract

Degeneration of pancreatic acinar cells in rats injected with ethionine was studied by electron microscopy. The most conspicuous morphologic lesions occurred in the ergastoplasm. There was a widening of the endoplasmic reticulum, a decrease in number of membrane-associated ribosomes, and a development of fine and coarse vacuoles containing agranular disoriented membranes. Cytoplasmic ribosomes unassociated with membranes were less numerous. Nuclear changes consisted of a coarsening and clumping of the nuclear chromatin, chromatin margination, and increased osmiophilia and vacuolation of the nucleolus. Eight to ten days after the beginning of ethionine injections, changes in zymogen granules, mitochondria, and the Golgi apparatus appeared, but only after extensive damage to the acinar cell. The effects were consistent with ethionine's known interference with protein metabolism but also suggest disturbance in ribonucleic acid metabolism. The ergastoplasmic changes after ethionine were similar in some respects to the early lesions produced in liver parenchymal cells by fasting, to the changes occurring in animals on protein-free diets, or to some of the liver changes produced by azo dye carcinogens. The ribosomal and ergastoplasmic changes represent early morphologic expressions of the biochemical effect of ethionine.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (2.3 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ALVIZOURI M., WARREN S. Effects of DL-ethionine on the pancreas and other organs. AMA Arch Pathol. 1954 Feb;57(2):130–137. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alfert M., Geschwind I. I. A Selective Staining Method for the Basic Proteins of Cell Nuclei. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1953 Oct;39(10):991–999. doi: 10.1073/pnas.39.10.991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BERNHARD W., ROUILLER C. Microbodies and the problem of mitochondrial regeneration in liver cells. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Jul 25;2(4 Suppl):355–360. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.4.355. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CAULFIELD J. B. Effects of varying the vehicle for OsO4 in tissue fixation. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1957 Sep 25;3(5):827–830. doi: 10.1083/jcb.3.5.827. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CHRISTIE G. S., JUDAH J. D. Mechanism of action of carbon tetrachloride on liver cells. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1954 Mar 25;142(907):241–257. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1954.0024. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. EMMELOT P., BENEDETTI E. L. Changes in the fine structure of rat liver cells brought about by dimethylnitrosamine. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1960 Apr;7:393–396. doi: 10.1083/jcb.7.2.393. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FARBER E., POPPER H. Production of acute pancreatitis with ethionine and its prevention by methionine. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1950 Aug;74(4):838–840. doi: 10.3181/00379727-74-18062. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. FARQUHAR M. G., WELLINGS S. R. Electron microscopic evidence suggesting secretory granule formation within the Golgi apparatus. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1957 Mar 25;3(2):319–322. doi: 10.1083/jcb.3.2.319. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. FAWCETT D. W. Observations on the cytology and electron microscopy of hepatic cells. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1955 Apr;15(5 Suppl):1475–1503. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. FERREIRA D. L'ultrastructure des cellules du pancréas endocrine chez l'embryon et le rat nouveau-né. J Ultrastruct Res. 1957 Nov;1(1):14–25. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(57)80009-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. FITZGERALD P. J., ALVIZOURI M. Rapid restitution of the rat pancreas following acinar cell necrosis subsequent to ethionine. Nature. 1952 Nov 29;170(4335):929–930. doi: 10.1038/170929b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. FITZGERALD P. J., HELLMAN L. The organ concentration, cellular distribution, and excretion of S35 administered as ethionine-S35. Lab Invest. 1961 Jan-Feb;10:2–30. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. FITZGERALD P. J. The problem of the precursor cell of regenerating pancreatic acinar epithelium. Lab Invest. 1960 Jan-Feb;9:67–85. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. FITZGERALD P. J., VINIJCHAIKUL K. Nucleic acid metabolism of pancreatic cells as revealed by cytidine-H3 and thymidine-H3. Lab Invest. 1959 Jan-Feb;8(1):319–329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. GANSLER H., ROUILLER C. Modifications physiologiques et pathologiques du chondriome; etude au microscope électronique. Schweiz Z Pathol Bakteriol. 1956;19(2):217–243. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. GOLDBERG R. C., CHAIKOFF I. L. Selective pancreatic acinar destruction by diethionine. AMA Arch Pathol. 1951 Sep;52(3):230–238. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. HERMAN L., FITZGERALD P. J. Restitution of pancreatic acinar cells following ethionine. J Cell Biol. 1962 Feb;12:297–312. doi: 10.1083/jcb.12.2.297. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. KING D. W., SOCOLOW E. L., BENSCH K. G. The relation between protein synthesis and lipide accumulation in L strain cells and Ehrlich ascites cells. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1959 May 25;5(3):421–431. doi: 10.1083/jcb.5.3.421. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. KINNEY T. D., KAUFMAN N., KLAVINS J. V. Regeneration of pancreatic acini during ethionine administration. AMA Arch Pathol. 1955 Dec;60(6):639–643. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. LACY P. E., CARDEZA A. F. Electron microscopy of guinea pig pancreas; effect of cobalt on the acini and islets. Diabetes. 1958 Sep-Oct;7(5):368–374. doi: 10.2337/diab.7.5.368. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. LUFT J. H. Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1961 Feb;9:409–414. doi: 10.1083/jcb.9.2.409. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. MAQSOOD M., BIOL M. I. Biological effects of ionizing radiation. Pak J Health. 1957 Jan;6(4):227–232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. MOORE D. H., GRIMLEY P. H. Problems in methacrylate embedding for electron microscopy. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1957 Mar 25;3(2):255–260. doi: 10.1083/jcb.3.2.255. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. MORGAN C., ROSE H. M., MOORE D. H. An evaluation of host cell changes accompanying viral multiplication as observed in the electron microscope. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1957 Oct 21;68(2):302–323. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1957.tb56087.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. MUNGER B. L. A phase and electron microscopic study of cellular differentiation in pancreatic acinar cells of the mouse. Am J Anat. 1958 Jul;103(1):1–33. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001030102. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. NOVIKOFF A. B., BEAUFAY H., DE DUVE C. Electron microscopy of lysosomerich fractions from rat liver. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Jul 25;2(4 Suppl):179–184. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. OBERLING C., ROUILLER C. Les effets de l'intoxication aiguë au tétrachlorure de carbone sur le foie du rat; étude au microscope électronique. Ann Anat Pathol (Paris) 1956 Oct-Dec;1(4):401–427. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. PALADE G. E. A study of fixation for electron microscopy. J Exp Med. 1952 Mar;95(3):285–298. doi: 10.1084/jem.95.3.285. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. PALADE G. E. Intracisternal granules in the exocrine cells of the pancreas. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Jul 25;2(4):417–422. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.4.417. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. PALADE G. E., SIEKEVITZ P. Pancreatic microsomes; an integrated morphological and biochemical study. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):671–690. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.671. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. PORTER K. R., BRUNI C. An electron microscope study of the early effects of 3'-Me-DAB on rat liver cells. Cancer Res. 1959 Nov;19:997–1009. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. ROBERTSON J. S. A morphological study with the electron microscope of sections of the normal mouse pancreas. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1954 Apr;32(2):229–234. doi: 10.1038/icb.1954.26. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. ROBERTSON J. S. The pancreatic lesion in adult mice, infected with a strain of pleurodynia virus. I. Electron microscopical observations. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1954 Jun;32(3):393–409. doi: 10.1038/icb.1954.42. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. SIEKEVITZ P., PALADE G. E. A cytochemical study on the pancreas of the guinea pig. I. Isolation and enzymatic activities of cell fractions. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 Mar 25;4(2):203–218. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.2.203. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. SJOSTRAND F. S., HANZON V. Membrane structures of cytoplasm and mitochondria in exocrine cells of mouse pancreas as revealed by high resolution electron microscopy. Exp Cell Res. 1954 Nov;7(2):393–414. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4827(54)80086-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. SJOSTRAND F. S., HANZON V. Ultrastructure of Golgi apparatus of exocrine cells of mouse pancreas. Exp Cell Res. 1954 Nov;7(2):415–429. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4827(54)80087-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. WACHSTEIN M., MEISEL E. Cellular changes accompanying the degenerative and regenerative phase of ethionine-induced pancreatic damage in the rat. Lab Invest. 1953 Jul-Aug;2(4):253–265. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. WATSON M. L. Pores in the mammalian nuclear membrane. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1954 Dec;15(4):475–479. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(54)90004-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. WATSON M. L. Staining of tissue sections for electron microscopy with heavy metals. II. Application of solutions containing lead and barium. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1958 Nov 25;4(6):727–730. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.6.727. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. WEISBLUM B., HERMAN L., FITZGERALD P. J. Changes in pancreatic acinar cells during protein deprivation. J Cell Biol. 1962 Feb;12:313–327. doi: 10.1083/jcb.12.2.313. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. WILLIAMSON J. R., LACY P. E. Electron microscopy of islet cells in alloxan-treated rabbits. AMA Arch Pathol. 1959 Jan;67(1):102–109. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES