Abstract
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is among the most common hospital gastrointestinal diagnoses; understanding the mechanisms underlying the severity of AP is critical for development of new treatment options for this disease. Here, we evaluate the biological function of phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) in AP pathogenesis in 2 independent genetically engineered mouse models of AP. PFKFB3 was elevated in AP and severe AP (SAP), and KO of Pfkfb3 abrogated the severity of alcoholic SAP (FAEE-SAP). Using a combination of genetic, pharmacological, and molecular studies, we defined the interaction of PFKFB3 with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) as a key event mediating this phenomenon. Further analysis demonstrated that the interaction between PFKFB3 and IP3R promotes FAEE-SAP severity by altering intracellular calcium homeostasis in acinar cells. Together, our results support a PFKFB3-driven mechanism controlling AP pathobiology and define this enzyme as a therapeutic target to ameliorate the severity of this condition.
Authors
Tan Zhang, Shengchuan Chen, Liang Li, Yuepeng Jin, Siying Liu, Zhu Liu, Fengyu Shi, Lifen Xie, Panpan Guo, Andrew C. Cannon, Akmal Ergashev, Haiping Yao, Chaohao Huang, Baofu Zhang, Lijun Wu, Hongwei Sun, Siming Chen, Yunfeng Shan, Zhengping Yu, Ezequiel J. Tolosa, Jianghuai Liu, Martin E. Fernandez-Zapico, Feng Ma, Gang Chen
