title: Fenofibrate activates the biochemical pathways and the de novo expression of genes related to lipid handling and uncoupling protein-3 functions in liver of normal rats.
abstract: Fibrates (anti-hyperlipidemic agents) enhance the mRNA expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in the liver and that of uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) in skeletal muscle in standard-diet-fed rats and induce a de novo expression of UCP3 (mRNA and protein) in the liver of high-fat-fed rats. Here, we report that in the liver of normal rats, fenofibrate induces a de novo expression of UCP3 and a 6-fold increase in UCP2 mRNA, whereas UCP2 protein was not detectable. Indeed, we evidenced an ORF in UCP2 exon 2 potentially able to inhibit the expression of the protein. Fenofibrate increases the expression and activity of hepatic enzymes and cofactors involved in lipid handling and UCP3 activity and, as is the case for UCP3, induces other muscle-specific genes (e.g., Carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1b and Ubiquinone biosynthesis protein COQ7 homolog). In addition, we demonstrated that in mitochondria from fenofibrate-treated rats a palmitoyl-carnitine-induced GDP-sensitive uncoupling takes place, involving UCP3 rather than other uncouplers (i.e., UCP2 and Adenine Nucleotide Translocase). Thus, the liver of fenofibrate-treated standard-diet- fed rat is a useful model for investigations of the biochemical functions of UCP3 and allowed us to demonstrate that fenofibrate programs a gene-expression pattern able to modulate lipid handling and UCP3 activation.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Via Port'Arsa 11, 82100 Benevento, Italia.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Lange
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ragni
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feola
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schiavo
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goglia
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanni
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D019069:Cell Respiration; D011345:Fenofibrate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007473:Ion Channels; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000226:Mitochondrial ADP, ATP Translocases / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010170:Palmitoyl-CoA Hydrolase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D007473:Ion Channels; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000604391:Ucp2 protein, rat; C000604394:Ucp3 protein, rat; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3; D014451:Ubiquinone; D000226:Mitochondrial ADP, ATP Translocases; D010170:Palmitoyl-CoA Hydrolase; D011345:Fenofibrate