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Role of the Free Fatty Acid 4 Receptor in Endothelial Cell Responses to Oleic Acid
Author(s) -
Rogers Kelsey,
Davis Danielle,
Kurjiaka David
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.lb763
Subject(s) - oleic acid , fatty acid , endothelial stem cell , receptor , biochemistry , inflammation , chemistry , biology , immunology , in vitro
The impact of fatty acids on the vasculature is a complicated story: some appear to have pro‐inflammatory effects (trans and saturated) whereas others have anti‐inflammatory effects (cis and omega 3). The discovery of a G protein coupled free fatty acid receptor (FFAR) has provided a potential explanation for these disparate vascular responses to fatty acids of different structures. In particular, the FFAR‐4 is activated by fatty acids that are expected to be anti‐inflammatory. Based upon the size and structure of oleic acid (18 carbon, cis fatty acid), we expect the anti‐inflammatory effects of oleic acid on the vasculature involve activation of the FFAR‐4. We tested the hypothesis that oleic acid binds to the FFAR‐4 receptor to reduce the inflammatory response in vascular endothelial cells. Western blot confirmed the presence of the FFAR‐4 in bEnd.3 cells (cultured mouse endothelial cells: ATCC). After treating bEnd.3 cells for 12 hrs with 30 μM oleic acid, the expression of connexin 43 (a marker of endothelial cell damage/inflammation) was reduced (n=5). As the concentration of oleic acid was increased from 0.3 to 300 μM, connexin 43 expression decreased in a dose dependent manner (n=4). When treated with an agonist for the FFAR‐4 (5 μM TUG‐891: Tocris), bEnd.3 cell expression of connexin 43 was reduced (n=3). Thus, preliminary data are consistent with the FFAR‐4 mediating the anti‐inflammatory effects of oleic acid on endothelial cells. Support or Funding Information This work was funded by Grand Valley State University (Presidential Research Grant: D Davis and Student Summer Scholars: K Rogers and D Kurjiaka).