Pancreatic T cell protein-tyrosine phosphatase deficiency ameliorates cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis.

Background Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common clinical problem whose incidence has been progressively increasing in recent years. Onset of the disease is trigged by intra-acinar cell activation of digestive enzyme zymogens that induce autodigestion, release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acinar cell injury. T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP) is implicated in inflammatory signaling but its significance in AP remains unclear. Results In this study we assessed the role of pancreatic TCPTP in cerulein-induced AP. TCPTP expression was increased at the protein and messenger RNA levels in the early phase of AP in mice and rats. To directly determine whether TCPTP may have a causal rol…