Conclusions
Our findings reveal a regulatory pathway through NF-κB/NCX1 governing Ca overload in AP development, thus providing potential targets for AP treatment.
Methods
To establish a rat model of AP induction, cerulein or L-arginine were intraperitoneally injected and tissue was histologically analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. A cell culture-based model for AP induction was similarly created through cerulein treatment of AR42J cells. Induction of AP was also examined following exposure to the NXC1-targeted inhibitor KB-R7943. The expression of each gene was detected by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, or quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Transcriptional regulation by nuclear factor (NF)-κB was detected using an NCX1 promoter-fusion dual luciferase reporter system. Cytosolic Ca was measured using a fluorescent calcium indicator.
Results
We found that cerulein induced NCX1 expression via activation of nuclear factor NF-κB, which potentially binds to the NCX1 promoter to induce its transcription. Conclusions: Our findings reveal a regulatory pathway through NF-κB/NCX1 governing Ca overload in AP development, thus providing potential targets for AP treatment.