Insulin downregulates C3 gene expression in human HepG2 cells through activation of PPARγ.

C3 is an acute phase protein, and thus its plasma concentration increases quickly and drastically during the onset of inflammation. Insulin plays a complex role in inflammation. Elevated level of plasma C3 was shown to correlate with heightened fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance and appears to be a risk factor for the cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The main source of plasma C3 is liver. Nothing is known about effects of insulin on C3 gene expression and protein secretion by hepatocytes. In light of these data we asked if insulin is capable of regulating C3 production in hepatocytes. Here we show that insulin downregulates C3 gene expression in human hepatoma cells HepG2 through activation of PI3K, mTORC1, p38 and MEK1/2 signaling pathways. Transcription factors PPARα, PPARγ, HNF4α and NF-κB are important contributors to this process. Insulin activates PPARγ through PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway, which results in PPARγ binding to DR4 and DR0 cis-acting elements within the C3 promoter and subsequent displacement of HNF4α and PPARα from these sites. As a result PPARα/NF-κB complex, which exists on C3 promoter, is broken down and C3 gene expression is downregulated. The data obtained can potentially be used to explain the molecular mechanism underlying the correlation between heightened level of plasma C3 and insulin resistance in humans.

Tumor necrosis factor α stimulates endogenous apolipoprotein A-I expression and secretion by human monocytes and macrophages: role of MAP-kinases, NF-κB, and nuclear receptors PPARα and LXRs.

Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) is the main structural and functional protein component of high-density lipoprotein. ApoA-I has been shown to regulate lipid metabolism and inflammation in macrophages. Recently, we found the moderate expression of endogenous apoA-I in human monocytes and macrophages and showed that pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) increases apoA-I mRNA and stimulates ApoA-I protein secretion by human monocytes and macrophages. Here, we present data about molecular mechanisms responsible for the TNFα-mediated activation of apoA-I gene in human monocytes and macrophages. This activation depends on JNK and MEK1/2 signaling pathways in human monocytes, whereas inhibition of NFκB, JNK, or p38 blocks an increase of apoA-I gene expression in the macrophages treated with TNFα. Nuclear receptor PPARα is a ligand-dependent regulator of apoA-I gene, whereas LXRs stimulate apoA-I mRNA transcription and ApoA-I protein synthesis and secretion by macrophages. Treatment of human macrophages with PPARα or LXR synthetic ligands as well as knock-down of LXRα, and LXRß by siRNAs interfered with the TNFα-mediated activation of apoA-I gene in human monocytes and macrophages. At the same time, TNFα differently regulated the levels of PPARα, LXRα, and LXRß binding to the apoA-I gene promoter in THP-1 cells. Obtained results suggest a novel tissue-specific mechanism of the TNFα-mediated regulation of apoA-I gene in monocytes and macrophages and show that endogenous ApoA-I might be positively regulated in macrophage during inflammation.

Modified low density lipoprotein stimulates complement C3 expression and secretion via liver X receptor and Toll-like receptor 4 activation in human macrophages.

Complement C3 is a pivotal component of three cascades of complement activation. C3 is expressed in human atherosclerotic lesions and is involved in atherogenesis. However, the mechanism of C3 accumulation in atherosclerotic lesions is not well elucidated. We show that acetylated low density lipoprotein and oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) increase C3 gene expression and protein secretion by human macrophages. Modified LDL (mLDL)-mediated activation of C3 expression mainly depends on liver X receptor (LXR) and partly on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), whereas C3 secretion is increased due to TLR4 activation by mLDL. LXR agonist TO901317 stimulates C3 gene expression in human monocyte-macrophage cells but not in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells. We find LXR-responsive element inside of the promoter region of the human C3 gene, which binds to LXRß in macrophages but not in HepG2 cells. We show that C3 expression and secretion is decreased in IL-4-treated (M2) and increased in IFNγ/LPS-stimulated (M1) human macrophages as compared with resting macrophages. LXR agonist TO901317 potentiates LPS-induced C3 gene expression and protein secretion in macrophages, whereas oxLDL differently modulates LPS-mediated regulation of C3 in M1 or M2 macrophages. Treatment of human macrophages with anaphylatoxin C3a results in stimulation of C3 transcription and secretion as well as increased oxLDL accumulation and augmented oxLDL-mediated up-regulation of the C3 gene. These data provide a novel mechanism of C3 gene regulation in macrophages and suggest new aspects of cross-talk between mLDL, C3, C3a, and TLR4 during development of atherosclerotic lesions.