Group III phospholipase A promotes colitis and colorectal cancer.

Lipid mediators play pivotal roles in colorectal cancer and colitis, but only a limited member of the phospholipase A (PLA) subtypes, which lie upstream of various lipid mediators, have been implicated in the positive or negative regulation of these diseases. Clinical and biochemical evidence suggests that secreted PLA group III (sPLA-III) is associated with colorectal cancer, although its precise role remains obscure. Here we have found that sPLA-III-null (Pla2g3 ) mice are highly resistant to colon carcinogenesis. Furthermore, Pla2g3 mice are less susceptible to dextran sulfate-induced colitis, implying that the amelioration of colonic inflammation by sPLA-III ablation may underlie the protective effect against colon cancer. Lipidomics analysis of the colon revealed significant reduction of pro-inflammatory/pro-tumorigenic lysophosholipids as well as unusual steady-state elevation of colon-protective fatty acids and their oxygenated metabolites in Pla2g3 mice. Overall, our results establish a role of sPLA-III in the promotion of colorectal inflammation and cancer, expand our understanding of the divergent roles of multiple PLA enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, and point to sPLA-III as a novel druggable target for colorectal diseases.