title: Astrocytes Release Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids by Lipopolysaccharide Stimuli.
abstract: We previously reported that levels of long-chain fatty acids (FAs) including docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) increase in the hypothalamus of inflammatory pain model mice. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the increment of free fatty acids (FFAs) in the brain during inflammation remains unknown. In this study, we characterized FFAs released by inflammatory stimulation in rat primary cultured astrocytes, and tested the involvement of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) on these mechanisms. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation significantly increased the levels of several FAs in the astrocytes. Under these conditions, mRNA expression of cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) and calcium-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) in LPS-treated group increased compared with the control group. Furthermore, in the culture media, the levels of DHA and arachidonic acid (ARA) significantly increased by LPS stimuli compared with those of a vehicle-treated control group whereas the levels of saturated FAs (SFAs), namely palmitic acid (PAM) and stearic acid (STA), did not change. In summary, our findings suggest that astrocytes specifically release DHA and ARA by inflammatory conditions. Therefore astrocytes might function as a regulatory factor of DHA and ARA in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University.
authors.forename: Fuka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishinaka
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamoto
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Fumiyo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasuya
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tokuyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054467:Phospholipases A2 / Q000378:metabolism; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D054467:Phospholipases A2