Unsaturated fatty acids repress the expression of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein via the modulation of histone deacetylation in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
BACKGROUND
Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) present in macrophages has been implicated in the integration of lipid metabolism and inflammatory response, contributing to development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.


OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the role of fatty acids in the inflammatory pathways is mediated through the modulation of A-FABP expression in macrophages.


METHODS
Murine RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with inflammatory insults and fatty acids for quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. The cells were treated with trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, for elucidating mechanisms for the regulation of A-FABP expression by fatty acids. RNA interference (RNAi) to knock down A-FABP was utilized to assess its role in inflammatory gene expression.


RESULTS
When RAW 264.7 were incubated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS; 100 ng/ml) or 2.5 ng/ml of tumor necrosis factor α for 18 h, A-FABP mRNA and protein levels were drastically increased. Unsaturated fatty acids (100 μmol/l in complexed with BSA) such as palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid, significantly repressed the basal as well as LPS-induced A-FABP expression, whereas palmitic acid did not elicit the same effect. TSA increased A-FABP mRNA levels and abolished the repressive effect of linoleic acid on A-FABP expression in unstimulated and LPS-stimulated macrophages. Depletion of A-FABP expression by 70-80% using RNAi markedly decreased cyclooxygenase 2 mRNA abundance and potentiated the repression by linoleic acid.


CONCLUSIONS
Unsaturated fatty acids inhibited the basal as well as LPS-induced A-FABP expression. The mechanism may involve histone deacetylation and anti-inflammatory effect of unsaturated fatty acids may be at least in part attributed to their repression of A-FABP expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 68583, USA.
Sara L
SL
Coleman
Young-Ki
YK
Park
Ji-Young
JY
Lee
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006657:Histones; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C012589:trichostatin A; C077623:Ptgs2 protein, mouse; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2