RIP3 attenuates the pancreatic damage induced by deletion of ATG7

Xiaodong Zhou1,2,3, Li Xie1,2,3, Leizhou Xia1,2,3

  • 1Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Clinic Heidelberg, Germany.

Cell Death & Disease
|July 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Pancreatic autophagy inhibition causes pancreatitis and atrophy. Deleting Rip3, a protein in necroptosis, worsened these effects, indicating Rip3 is not protective against autophagy-impaired pancreatic damage.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Pancreatic autophagy is crucial for maintaining organ homeostasis.
  • Disrupting autophagy leads to pancreatic atrophy, insufficiency, and pancreatitis.
  • Rip3 is implicated in necroptotic signaling pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if Rip3 depletion mitigates pancreatic atrophy and pancreatitis caused by autophagy inhibition.
  • To elucidate the role of Rip3 in the context of impaired pancreatic autophagy.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized knockout mouse models lacking Rip3 and Atg7 (in the pancreas).
  • Assessed autophagy and necroptosis signaling pathways.
  • Evaluated acinar cell death, inflammation, and fibrosis using immunofluorescence and immunoblots.

Main Results:

  • Mice with Atg7-deficient pancreas developed acute pancreatitis progressing to chronic pancreatitis, characterized by reduced autophagy, increased apoptosis and necroptosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and premature death.
  • Rip3 knockout in these mice exacerbated acinar cell apoptosis and tissue damage.
  • Rip3 deletion reduced macrophage infiltration and accelerated mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Rip3 deletion exacerbates pancreatic degeneration induced by autophagy inhibition.
  • Rip3 is not protective and its absence worsens the pathological consequences of impaired pancreatic autophagy.
  • These findings highlight the complex interplay between autophagy, apoptosis, and necroptosis in pancreatic disease.