title: Palmitic acid exerts pro-inflammatory effects on vascular smooth muscle cells by inducing the expression of C-reactive protein, inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor-α.
abstract: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease in the vessel, and inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the inflammatory process of atherosclerosis. A high level of free fatty acids (FFAs) produced in lipid metabolism disorders are known to participate in the formation of atherosclerosis through multiple bioactivities. As the main saturated fatty acid in FFAs, palmitic acid stimulates the expression of inflammatory cytokines in macrophages. However, it is unclear whether palmitic acid exerts a pro-inflammatory effect on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The purpose of the present study was to observe the effect of palmitic acid on the expression of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in VSMCs. Rat VSMCs were cultured, and palmitic acid was used as a stimulant for CRP, TNF-α and iNOS expression. mRNA expression was assayed with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and protein expression was detected with western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry. The results showed that palmitic acid significantly stimulated mRNA and protein expression of CRP, TNF-α and iNOS in VSMCs in time- and concentration-dependent manners, and therefore, palmitic acid is able to exert a pro-inﬂammatory effect on VSMCs via stimulating CRP, TNF-α and iNOS expression. The ﬁndings provide a novel explanation for the direct pro-inﬂammatory and atherogenic effects of palmitic acid, and for the association with metabolic syndrome, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and atherosclerosis. Therefore, the intervention with anti-inflammatory agents may effectively delay the formation and progression of atherosclerosis in patients with metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Juntian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuyue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaolu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liuxin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II