Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the potential role of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), which acts as an adaptor in the TLR4 signalling pathway, in immune responses of the pancreatic duct during acute pancreatitis.
Methods: Primary cultures of pancreatic duct epithelial cells from Wistar rats and cultures of the pancreatic ductal ARIP cell line were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and expression of toll-like receptor 4 mRNA was determined using real-time PCR, expression of MyD88 protein using Western blot, and levels of inflammatory cytokines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These experiments were repeated using ARIP cells in which MyD88 expression was stably knocked down.
Results: Toll-like receptor 4 and MyD88 expression were similar between pancreatic duct epithelial cells and ARIP cells after LPS stimulation. Myeloid differentiation factor 88 knockdown led to significantly lower levels of inflammatory cytokines after LPS induction in ARIP cells.
Conclusions: Myeloid differentiation factor 88 knockdown attenuates LPS-induced inflammatory responses in pancreatic ductal cells, suggesting that the MyD88 pathway plays a critical role in their immune defense activity.