Zinc homeostasis is markedly dysregulated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and this dysregulation can be probed by selecting a secretagogue to stimulate the secretion of zinc and functional components from the exocrine pancreas. Here, we introduce the use of caerulein, a surrogate cholecystokinin agonist of pancreatic exocrine secretion, and a Gd-based zinc probe to monitor exocrine function in the healthy and PDAC mouse pancreas by MRI. Our results indicate that zinc dysregulation involves an increase in zinc accumulation in malignant tissue mediated by upregulation of zinc import transporters, and hypersecretory capacity as reported by caerulein-stimulated zinc secretion MRI in vivo.
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