GPR30 is a potential player between islet cells and ductal HCO3− secretion

The primary role of pancreatic ductal HCO₃⁻ secretion is to prevent premature activation of digestive enzymes and to provide a vehicle for the delivery of enzymes to the duodenum. In addition, HCO₃⁻is responsible for the neutralization of gastric juice and protect against the formation of protein plugs and viscous mucus. Due to this multifaceted role of HCO₃⁻ in the pancreas, its altered functioning can greatly contribute to the development of various exocrine diseases. It is well known that the exocrine and endocrine pancreas interact lively with each other, but not all details of this relationship are known. An interesting finding of a recent study by Jo-Watanabe et al. is that the G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor, GPR30, which is expressed in the endocrine pancreas, can be also activated by HCO₃⁻. This raises the possibility that ductal cells play a key role not only in the exocrine pancreas, but presumably also in endocrine function through HCO₃⁻ secretion.