title: Corn oil rapidly activates nuclear factor-kappaB in hepatic Kupffer cells by oxidant-dependent mechanisms.
abstract: N-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (N-6 PUFAs), major constituents of corn oil and natural ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, increase the rate of growth of established tumors. It has been proposed that chemical peroxisome proliferators increase hepatocyte proliferation by mechanisms involving activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and production of low levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) by Kupffer cells; however, how N-6 PUFAs are involved in increased cell proliferation in liver is not well understood. Here, the hypothesis that N-6 PUFAs increase production of mitogens by activation of Kupffer cell NF-kappaB was tested. A single dose of corn oil (2 ml/kg, i.g.), but not olive oil or medium-chain triglycerides (saturated fat), caused an approximately 3-fold increase in hepatocyte proliferation. Similarly, when activity of NF-kappaB in whole rat liver or isolated hepatocytes and Kupffer cells was measured at various time intervals for up to 36 h, only corn oil activated NF-kappaB. Corn oil increased NF-kappaB activity approximately 3-fold 1-2 h after treatment exclusively in the Kupffer cell fraction. In contrast, increases were small and only occurred after approximately 8 h in hepatocytes. The activation of NF-kappaB at 2 h and increases in cell proliferation at 24 h due to corn oil were prevented almost completely when rats were pretreated for 4 days with either dietary glycine (5% w/w), an agent that inactivates Kupffer cells, or the NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diphenyleneiodonium (s.c., 1 mg/kg/day). Furthermore, arachidonic acid (100 microM) activated superoxide production approximately 4-fold when added to isolated Kupffer cells in vitro. This phenomenon was not observed with oleic or linoleic acids. Interestingly, a single dose of corn oil increased TNFalpha mRNA nearly 2-fold 8 h after treatment. It is concluded that corn oil rapidly activates NF-kappaB in Kupffer cells via oxidant-dependent mechanisms. This triggers production of low levels of TNFalpha which is mitogenic in liver and promotes growth of hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7365, USA. iir@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rusyn
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bradham
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schoonhoven
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Swenberg
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thurman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003314:Corn Oil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D016877:Oxidants; D011743:Pyrimidines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003314:Corn Oil; C006253:pirinixic acid