Foamy Monocytes Are Enriched in cis-7-Hexadecenoic Fatty Acid (16:1n-9), a Possible Biomarker for Early Detection of Cardiovascular Disease.
Human monocytes respond to arachidonic acid, a secretory product of endothelial cells, by activating the de novo pathway of fatty acid biosynthesis, resulting in the acquisition of a foamy phenotype due to accumulation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets. Recruitment of foamy monocytes to endothelium is a key step in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Here we describe that lipid droplets of foamy monocytes are enriched in a rather uncommon fatty acid, cis-7-hexadecenoic acid (16:1n-9), a positional isomer of palmitoleic acid. 16:1n-9 was found to possess an anti-inflammatory activity both in vitro and in vivo that is comparable with that of omega-3 fatty acids and clearly distinguishable from the effects of palmitoleic acid. Selective accumulation in neutral lipids of phagocytic cells of an uncommon fatty acid reveals an early phenotypic change that may provide a biomarker of proatherogenicity, and a potential target for intervention in the early stages of cardiovascular disease.
Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Valladolid, Calle Sanz y Forés 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Carlos
C
Guijas
Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Valladolid, Calle Sanz y Forés 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Clara
C
Meana
Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Valladolid, Calle Sanz y Forés 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Alma M
AM
Astudillo
Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Valladolid, Calle Sanz y Forés 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
María A
MA
Balboa
Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad de Valladolid, Calle Sanz y Forés 3, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), 28029 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jbalsinde@ibgm.uva.es.
Jesús
J
Balsinde
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D015415:Biomarkers; D010169:Palmitic Acids; C093821:hexadecenoic acid