Inhibition of APE1 Redox Function Reduces Acute Radiation Enteritis by Blocking JAK-STAT3-Mediated Inflammation and Myeloid Cells Recruitment

The clinical treatment for ARE primarily focuses on symptomatic therapy, lacking effective preventive and intervention measures. This study investigated the bifunctional protein Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/Redox factor 1 (APE1/Ref-1) in ARE pathogenesis.

Using tamoxifen-inducible Apex1 knockout mice (Apex1flox/floxCre-ER+), we demonstrate stage-specific functions: APE1 mediates early-phase inflammatory factor release and is indispensable for late-phase myeloid cell infiltration. Crucially, both genetic ablation of APE1 redox function, C64S mutant mice, and pharmacological inhibition via pre-radiation intraperitoneal E3330 administration significantly reduced ARE severity.