title: Investigating the pathobiology of alcoholic pancreatitis.
abstract: Alcohol abuse is one of the most common causes of pancreatitis. The risk of developing alcohol-induced pancreatitis is related to the amount and duration of drinking. However, only a small portion of heavy drinkers develop disease, indicating that other factors (genetic, environmental, or dietary) contribute to disease initiation. Epidemiologic studies suggest roles for cigarette smoking and dietary factors in the development of alcoholic pancreatitis. The mechanisms underlying alcoholic pancreatitis are starting to be understood. Studies from animal models reveal that alcohol sensitizes the pancreas to key pathobiologic processes that are involved in pancreatitis. Current studies are focussed on the mechanisms responsible for the sensitizing effect of alcohol; recent findings reveal disordering of key cellular organelles including endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and lysosomes. As our understanding of alcohol's effects continue to advance to the level of molecular mechanisms, insights into potential therapeutic strategies will emerge providing opportunities for clinical benefit.
authors.affiliation: Pancreatic Research Group, Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles, University of California Los Angeles, 90073, USA. stephen.pandol@va.gov
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pandol
authors.forename: Aurelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lugea
authors.forename: Olga A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Mareninova
authors.forename: Duane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smoot
authors.forename: Fred S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Gorelick
authors.forename: Anna S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gukovskaya
authors.forename: Ilya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gukovsky
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology