title: Polyunsaturated fatty acids stimulate hepatic UCP-2 expression via a PPARalpha-mediated pathway.
abstract: The discovery of homologs of the brown fat uncoupling protein(s) (UCP) UCP-2 and UCP-3 revived the hypothesis of uncoupling protein involvement in the regulation of energy metabolism. Thus we hypothesized that UCP-2 would be regulated in the hepatocyte by fatty acids, which are known to control other energy-related metabolic processes. Treatment with 250 microM palmitic acid was without effect on UCP-2 expression, whereas 250 microM oleic acid exhibited a modest eightfold increase. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid, exerted a 50-fold upregulation of UCP-2 that was concentration dependent. This effect was seen within 12 h and was maximal by 36 h. Aspirin blocked the induction of UCP-2 by EPA, indicating involvement of the prostaglandin pathway. Hepatocytes treated with arachidonic acid, the immediate precursor to the prostaglandins, also exhibited an aspirin-inhibitable increase in UCP-2 levels, further supporting the involvement of prostaglandins in regulating hepatic UCP-2. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha) agonist Wy-14643 stimulated UCP-2 mRNA levels as effectively as EPA. These data indicate that UCP-2 is upregulated by polyunsaturated fatty acids, potentially through a prostaglandin/PPARalpha-mediated pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Towle
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007473:Ion Channels; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007473:Ion Channels; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors; C000604391:Ucp2 protein, rat; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D001241:Aspirin