PDIA3 gene induces visceral hypersensitivity in rats with irritable bowel syndrome through the dendritic cell-mediated activation of T cells

This study investigated the mechanism of protein disulfide-isomerase A3 (PDIA3)-induced visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Rats were treated with saline (control), acetic acid and restraint stress (IBS model), empty vector (RNAi control) and PDIA3-RNAi vector (PDIA3-RNAi). Mesenteric lymph node DCs (MLNDCs) and splenic CD4+/CD8+ T cells were isolated for co-cultivation. Compared with control, MLNDCs co-cultured with CD4+ or CD8+ T cells showed an increased ability to promote T cell proliferation and produced more IL-4 or IL-9 secretion. Compared with the RNAi control, MLNDCs from the PDIA3 knockdown models were less effective in promoting the proliferation of CD4+/CD8+ T cells. It is concluded that PDIA3 plays an important role in the development of IBS through the DC-mediated activation of T cells, resulting in degranulation of MCs and visceral hypersensitivity.