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[PPARγ signal transduction pathway in the foam cell formation induced by visfatin.] [Ariticle in Chinese]

KANG Jing, CHENG Bei^*, JIANG Lei

Department of Geriatrics, the Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) signaltransduction pathway in the expression of ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 1(ACAT1) induced by visfatin and to discuss the mechanism of foam cell formation induced by visfatin. THP-1 monocytes were inducedinto macrophages by 160 nmol/L phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) for 48 h, and then the macrophages were exposed to visfatin and PPARγ activator rosiglitazone, respectively. The expressions of PPARγ, ABCA1 and ACAT1 mRNA and protein were determined byRT-PCR and Western blot respectively. The contents of total cholesterol (TC) and free cholesterol (FC) were detected by enzymefluorescence analysis. The content of cholesterol ester (CE) was calculated by the difference between TC and FC. The results showedthat visfatin decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ and ABCA1, increased the mRNA and protein expressions of ACAT1, and increased the contents of FC and CE in a concentration-dependent manner. These above effects of visfatin were inhibitedby rosiglitazone in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that visfatin may down-regulate the ABCA1 expressionand up-regulate the ACAT1 expression via PPARγ signal transduction pathway, which decreases the outflow of FC, increases thecontent of CE, and then induces foam cell formation.

Key words: visfatin; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ; ATP binding cassette transporter A1; acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 1; foam cell;

Received: 2010-08-17　　Accepted: 2010-09-03

Corresponding author: 成蓓　　E-mail: chengbei81@yahoo.com.cn

Citing This Article：

KANG Jing, CHENG Bei, JIANG Lei. [PPARγ signal transduction pathway in the foam cell formation induced by visfatin.] [Ariticle in Chinese] . Acta Physiol Sin 2010; 62 (5): 427-432 (in Chinese with English abstract).