VLDL hydrolysis by LPL activates PPAR-α through generation of unbound fatty acids

Recent evidence suggests that lipoproteins serve as circulating reservoirs of peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) ligands that are accessible through lipolysis. The present study was conducted to determine the biochemical basis of PPAR-α activation by lipolysis products and their contribution to PPAR-α function in vivo. PPAR-α activation was measured in bovine aortic endothelial cells following treatment with human plasma, VLDL lipolysis products, or oleic acid. While plasma failed to activate PPAR-α, oleic acid performed similarly to VLDL lipolysis products. Therefore, fatty acids are likely to be the PPAR-α ligands generated by VLDL lipolysis. Indeed, unbound fatty acid concentration determined PPAR-α activation regardless of fatty acid source, with PPAR-α activation occurring only at unbound fatty acid concentrations that are unachievable under physiological conditions without lipase action. In mice, a synthetic lipase inhibitor (poloxamer-407) attenuated fasting-induced changes in expression of PPAR-α target genes. Apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII), an endogenous inhibitor of lipoprotein and hepatic lipase, regulated access to the lipoprotein pool of PPAR-α ligands, because addition of exogenous apoCIII inhibited, and removal of endogenous apoCIII potentiated, lipolytic PPAR-α activation. These data suggest that the PPAR-α response is generated by unbound fatty acids released locally by lipase activity and not by circulating plasma fatty acids.     

免疫系统防御强，遇到缺氧HIF帮

缺氧诱导因子（hypoxia-inducible factor,HIF）是一类受氧调控的转录因子。其α亚基是氧敏感性亚基,包括HIF-1α、HIF-2α和HIF-3α,与β亚基形成异源二聚体,活化目标基因的表达以调节细胞对低氧的反应。HIF本身受到精细调节,包括转录组水平的调节,以及通过蛋白质翻译后修饰所进行的蛋白质水平的调节,以确保细胞对低氧压力产生适当反应。免疫应答常伴随局部组织的低氧状况,HIF是低氧环境中先天免疫和适应性免疫应答的重要调节因子。在天然免疫系统,HIF激活一系列与代谢相关的基因表达,调节中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞和树突状细胞的发育、极化和功能。对于适应性免疫,近年来的研究确立了HIF在CD4⁺T细胞分化和功能中的重要作用。本综述将重点讨论近年来有关HIF调节机制,及其在免疫细胞功能研究的进展。