In the cholecystokinin (CCK) hyperstimulation model of acute pancreatitis, two early intracellular events, activation of trypsinogen and activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), are thought to be important in the development of the disease. In this study, the relationship between these two events was investigated. NF-kappaB activity was monitored by using a DNA binding assay and mob-1 chemokine gene expression. Intracellular trypsin activity was measured by using a fluorogenic substrate. Protease inhibitors including FUT-175, Pefabloc, and E-64d prevented CCK stimulation of intracellular trypsinogen and NF-kappaB activation. Likewise, the NF-kappaB inhibitors pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and N-acetyl-L-cysteine inhibited CCK stimulation of NF-kappaB and intracellular trypsinogen activation. These results suggested a possible codependency of these two events. However, CCK stimulated NF-kappaB activation in Chinese hamster ovary-CCK(A) cells, which do not express trypsinogen, indicating that trypsin is not necessary for CCK activation of NF-kappaB. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated expression in acinar cells of active p65 subunits to stimulate NF-kappaB, or of inhibitory kappaB-alpha molecules to inhibit NF-kappaB, did not affect either basal or CCK-mediated trypsinogen activation. Thus trypsinogen and NF-kappaB activation are independent events stimulated by CCK.