Betulinic acid downregulates expression of oxidative stress-induced lipoprotein lipase via the PKC/ERK/c-Fos pathway in RAW264.7 macrophages.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a major cause of coronary artery disease, which is characterized by cellular lipid accumulation. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a key enzyme in lipid metabolism. Studies have shown that macrophage-derived LPL exhibits proatherogenic properties, and plays a major role in lipid accumulation in macrophages. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress can effectively enhance macrophage LPL production. Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic lupane triterpene with a potent antioxidant activity. In this study, we investigated whether BA affects the expression of macrophage LPL and how it regulates cellular lipid accumulation.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We revealed that BA downregulated H2O2-simulated macrophage LPL protein, mRNA levels and its activity in both concentration- and time-dependent manners. Furthermore, BA decreased LPL-involved total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in macrophages. In addition, cellular lipid staining by Oil Red O showed that BA decreased cellular lipid droplet deposition. Next, we confirmed that pretreatment with BA decreased H2O2-induced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species in a concentration-dependent manner. Further studies demonstrated that BA inhibited H2O2-induced membrane translocation of PKC, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and c-Fos. Finally, the induction of LPL production and activity by H2O2 was abolished by BA, inhibition of PKC or ERK or depletion c-Fos, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: BA, through its role of antioxidant activity, attenuated macrophage-derived LPL expression and activity induced by oxidative stress, and effectively reduced cellular lipid accumulation, likely through inhibition of the pathways involving PKC, ERK and c-Fos. These effects of BA may contribute to its mitigation of atherosclerosis and help develop BA as a therapeutic compound in treatment of atherosclerosis.