Acute pancreatitis (AP) is initiated by injury to pancreatic acinar cells resulting in zymogen activation. This initial insult induces a rapid sterile inflammatory response (SIR) characterized by edema, cellular infiltrate, and further acinar cell death. Many lines of evidence point towards the SIR having a vital role in pancreatic damage, but the crucial link between acinar cell injury and induction of the SIR has not been identified. Our preliminary data demonstrate that in caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis: i. In the absence of TLR9 or the inflammasome components ASC, NLRP3, and caspase-1 there is reduced SIR and acinar cell injury. ii. Inhibitors of TLR9 can reduce the SIR and acinar cell death. iii. TLR9 expression is localized to resident immune, endothelial, and pancreatic duct cells in vivo. We hypothesize that initial acinar cell injury releases damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) which are sensed by resident pancreatic cells, resulting in the SIR which increases acinar cell death.
Aim 1 : Identify the pancreatic DAMP-sensing cell. (a) Bone marrow chimeras will be constructed to identify the relative contribution of immune and parenchymal cells to the SIR. (b) Selective depletion will determine the contributions of individual cell populations to the SIR.
Aim 2 : Identify which components of inflammasome activation induce acinar cell cytotoxicity. Acinar cells will be isolated and assessed for cell death and zymogen activation in response to (a) IL-1beta and IL-18, and (b) co-culture with the DAMP-sensing cell identified in Aim 1.
Aim 3 : Identify the regulation of the inflammasome and TLR9 signaling by TLR4 activation in acute pancreatitis. The ability of TLR4 activation to regulate both (a) NLRP3 inflammasome and (b) TLR9 signaling will be assessed in the DAMP-sensing cells identified in Aim 1. The proposed work will identify a detailed cellular and molecular mechanism for the initiation of the inflammatory response in acute pancreatitis.

Public Health Relevance

Acute pancreatitis is a common disease of the pancreas which can rapidly progress into a severe life- threatening inflammatory response and for which there are no effective therapies. How non-infectious insults, such as gallstones, alcohol consumption, drugs and manipulation of the pancreatic duct, which are common triggers of acute pancreatitis, initiate such severe inflammation is poorly understood. This proposal seeks to understand the initiators of the inflammatory response in acute pancreatitis so that therapeutics can be designed to prevent or treat this injurious process.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Clinical Investigator Award (CIA) (K08)
Project #
5K08DK092281-02
Application #
8331433
Study Section
Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases B Subcommittee (DDK)
Program Officer
Podskalny, Judith M,
Project Start
2011-09-15
Project End
2016-06-30
Budget Start
2012-07-01
Budget End
2013-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$154,818
Indirect Cost
$11,468
Name
Yale University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
043207562
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520
Chen, Yonglin; Ouyang, Xinshou; Hoque, Rafaz et al. (2018) ?-Hydroxybutyrate protects from alcohol-induced liver injury via a Hcar2-cAMP dependent pathway. J Hepatol 69:687-696
Savio, Luiz Eduardo Baggio; Andrade, Mariana G Juste; de Andrade Mello, Paola et al. (2017) P2X7 Receptor Signaling Contributes to Sepsis-Associated Brain Dysfunction. Mol Neurobiol 54:6459-6470
Garcia-Martinez, Irma; Santoro, Nicola; Chen, Yonglin et al. (2016) Hepatocyte mitochondrial DNA drives nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by activation of TLR9. J Clin Invest 126:859-64
Hoque, Rafaz (2016) Update on innate immunity and perspectives on metabolite regulation in acute pancreatitis. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 32:507-512
Hoque, Rafaz; Mehal, Wajahat Z (2015) Inflammasomes in pancreatic physiology and disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 308:G643-51
Wang, Yan; Telesford, Kiel M; Ochoa-Repáraz, Javier et al. (2014) An intestinal commensal symbiosis factor controls neuroinflammation via TLR2-mediated CD39 signalling. Nat Commun 5:4432
Farooq, Ahmad; Hoque, Rafaz; Ouyang, Xinshou et al. (2014) Activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor downregulates inflammasome activity and liver inflammation via a ?-arrestin-2 pathway. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 307:G732-40
Hoque, Rafaz; Farooq, Ahmad; Ghani, Ayaz et al. (2014) Lactate reduces liver and pancreatic injury in Toll-like receptor- and inflammasome-mediated inflammation via GPR81-mediated suppression of innate immunity. Gastroenterology 146:1763-74
Hoque, Rafaz; Farooq, Ahmad; Mehal, Wajahat Z (2013) Sterile inflammation in the liver and pancreas. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 28 Suppl 1:61-7
Hoque, Rafaz; Farooq, Ahmad; Malik, Ahsan et al. (2013) A novel small-molecule enantiomeric analogue of traditional (-)-morphinans has specific TLR9 antagonist properties and reduces sterile inflammation-induced organ damage. J Immunol 190:4297-304

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