title: Effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha on cholesterol efflux in adipocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has multiple effects on adipocyte, including cell differentiation, lipolysis and the production of adipokines. It is not known whether TNF-alpha has effect on cholesterol efflux in adipocyte.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rabbit subcutaneous adipocytes were incubated with 5, 10, 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha for 24 h. The cholesterol efflux onto apoAI was assessed, and the related peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma, liver X receptor (LXR) alpha and ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) mRNA expression in adipocytes were quantified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of adipocytes with 5 or 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha for 24 h increased cholesterol efflux, and the effect of 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha was significant higher than the control group. In contrast, 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha decreased cholesterol efflux compared with 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha. The expression of ABCA1 was increased by 5 ng/ml or 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha compared with control group, and was inhibited by 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha. The PPARgamma and LXRalpha mRNA were also significantly induced by 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha and down regulated by higher TNF-alpha concentration. After pre-treated by GW9662, the expression of PPARgamma induced by TNF-alpha was partially prevented, subsequent to the down-regulation of LXRalpha and ABCA1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TNF-alpha affects cholesterol efflux and ABCA1 expression of adipocytes, and the pathway of PPARgamma-LXRalpha-ABCA1 is probably involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Xiang Ya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.
authors.forename: Shui-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shao-Zhuang
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001692:Biological Transport; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D064286:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter 1; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors; D047495:PPAR gamma; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002784:Cholesterol