BAX and serum lipopolysaccharide activity: Our results revealed that in the pancreatic acinar cells obtained from the rats subjected in infancy to endotoxemia, caerulein caused dose-dependent: downregulation of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and upregulation of pro-apoptotic Bax protein levels, as compared to the caerulein-treated cells alone, suggesting susceptibility of those cultures to apoptosis.