Abstract 663: Modified Low Density Lipoproteins Elicited Macrophage InflammatoryResponses is Regulated by the Glycerolipid Synthesis Enzyme Lipin-1
Modified low density lipoproteins (modLDL) elicit macrophage generation into foam cells that release pro-inflammatory mediators driving atherosclerotic lesion progression causing cardiovascular disease. The molecular mechanisms that elicit foam cell inflammatory responses have not yet been fully elucidated. The lipid-laden phenotype that is characteristic of macrophage foam cells is due to lipid droplet biogenesis in response to excess cholesterol. Lipid droplet biogenesis is a process that is thought to be symptomatic of, but not drive atherosclerosis. Lipid droplet biogenesis requires glycerolipid synthesis, during which, lipin-1 converts phosphatidate into diglyceride as the penultimate step of lipid droplet generation. We had previously demonstrated lipin-1 is also required for modLDL-elicited pro-inflammatory response from macrophages. We hypothesized that modLDL elicits chronic diglyceride generation, via lipin-1 enzymatic activity, that activates signaling cascades responsible for foam cell pro-inflammatory responses. To test our hypotheses we stimulated wild type and lipin-1 depleted bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) with oxidized LDLs (oxLDLs). Stimulation of wild type BMDMs resulted in chronic activation of the signaling kinases PKCα/βII, ERK1/2 and the AP-1 transcription factor subunit cJun (up to 48 hours after stimulation). This pathway was not observed to be active in BMDMs depleted of lipin-1 either genetically or with siRNA. The pharmacological inhibition of lipin-1, PKCα/βII, ERK1/2 strongly suggest lipin-1- PKCα/βII-ERK1/2-cJun represents a signaling axis. Finally, each of these proteins were required for oxLDL-elicited pro-inflammatory responses by macrophages. These results suggest that augmented glycerolipid synthesis in macrophages due to modLDL stimulation is not just symptomatic of atherosclerosis but promote inflammatory responses that drive lesion progression