title: Regulation of podocyte survival and endoplasmic reticulum stress by fatty acids.
abstract: Apoptosis of podocytes is considered critical in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Free fatty acids (FFAs) are critically involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus type 2, in particular the regulation of pancreatic β cell survival. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the role of palmitic acid, palmitoleic, and oleic acid in the regulation of podocyte cell death and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We show that palmitic acid increases podocyte cell death, both apoptosis and necrosis of podocytes, in a dose and time-dependent fashion. Palmitic acid induces podocyte ER stress, leading to an unfolded protein response as reflected by the induction of the ER chaperone immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein (BiP) and proapoptotic C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) transcription factor. Of note, the monounsaturated palmitoleic and oleic acid can attenuate the palmitic acid-induced upregulation of CHOP, thereby preventing cell death. Similarly, gene silencing of CHOP protects against palmitic acid-induced podocyte apoptosis. Our results offer a rationale for interventional studies aimed at testing whether dietary shifting of the FFA balance toward unsaturated FFAs can delay the progression of DN.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biomedicine, Molecular Nephrology, Univ. Hospital Basel, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sieber
authors.forename: Maja Tamara
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lindenmeyer
authors.forename: Kapil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kampe
authors.forename: Kirk Nicholas
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Clemens David
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hopfer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mundel
authors.forename: Andreas Werner
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Jehle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050199:Podocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D051742:Transcription Factor CHOP / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C497250:Ddit3 protein, mouse; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D051742:Transcription Factor CHOP; C008757:palmitoleic acid; D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D053148:Caspase 3