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The pro-/anti-inflammatory effects of different fatty acids on visceral adipocytes are partially mediated by GPR120

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Abstract

Purpose

This study examines whether G-protein coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) is involved in the pro-/anti-inflammatory effects of different types of fatty acids (FAs) in human visceral adipocytes, and whether these effects may be altered in obesity, a state with a chronic inflammation.

Methods

Pro-/anti-inflammatory effects of palmitic, oleic, linoleic and docosahexaenoic acids on human visceral adipocytes were tested in mature adipocytes from non-obese and morbidly obese (MO) subjects. Also, the effects of these FAs were tested when the GPR120 gene was silenced.

Results

In adipocytes from non-obese subjects, palmitic and linoleic acids increased TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression (p < 0.05), and decreased IL-10 and adiponectin expression (p < 0.05). However, oleic and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) produced the opposite effect (p < 0.05). In adipocytes from MO subjects, all FAs used increased TNF-α and IL-6 expression (p < 0.05). Palmitic and linoleic acids decreased IL-10 and adiponectin expression (p < 0.05), but oleic acid and DHA did not have significant effects. Only oleic acid increased adiponectin expression (p < 0.05). The effects of FAs on TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 and adiponectin expression in non-obese and MO subjects were significantly annulled when the GPR120 gene was silenced in visceral adipocytes differentiated from human mesenchymal stem cells.

Conclusions

FAs are capable of directly acting on visceral adipocytes to modulate differently TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 and adiponectin expression, with a different and greater effect in MO subjects. These effects are largely annulled when GPR120 expression was silenced, which suggests that they could be mediated by GPR120.

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Acknowledgments

CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas (CIBERDEM) and CIBER de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD) are initiatives of ISCIII. Rodriguez-Pacheco F. is supported by a fellowship from Talent Hub program of the Consejería de Economia, Innovacion, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía (TAHUB-042). This work was supported in part by a Grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PS09/01060) and Consejería de Economia, Innovacion, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía (CTS-8081). This study has been co-funded by FEDER funds.

Author contributions

FRP, SGS and EGF designed research; SV, JGA and MG selected the patients included; MAAC collected serum samples; FJMR, ARC and AMF collected adipose tissue samples; FRP, CGR, SGS, AHP and MAAC analyzed samples; FRP, CGR and EGF analyzed data; FRP, RJA and EGF wrote the paper; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario, Málaga, Spain

      Francisca Rodriguez-Pacheco, Carolina Gutierrez-Repiso, Sara Garcia-Serrano, Ailec Ho-Plagaro, Sergio Valdes, Juan Garcia-Arnes, Montserrat Gonzalo & Eduardo Garcia-Fuentes

    2. CIBERDEM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Málaga, Spain

      Francisca Rodriguez-Pacheco, Sara Garcia-Serrano & Sergio Valdes

    3. Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Laboratorio, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario, Málaga, Spain

      Miguel A. Alaminos-Castillo

    4. Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Aparato Digestivo, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria/Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain

      Raul J. Andrade

    5. CIBEREHD, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Málaga, Spain

      Raul J. Andrade

    6. Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Cirugía General, Digestiva y Trasplantes, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario, Málaga, Spain

      Francisco J. Moreno-Ruiz, Alberto Rodriguez-Cañete & Abelardo Martinez-Ferriz

    7. CIBEROBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Málaga, Spain

      Eduardo Garcia-Fuentes

    8. Laboratorio de Investigación, Hospital Civil, Plaza del Hospital Civil s/n, 29009, Málaga, Spain

      Sara Garcia-Serrano & Eduardo Garcia-Fuentes

    Authors
    1. Francisca Rodriguez-Pacheco
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    2. Carolina Gutierrez-Repiso
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    3. Sara Garcia-Serrano
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    4. Miguel A. Alaminos-Castillo
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    7. Juan Garcia-Arnes
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    8. Montserrat Gonzalo
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    9. Raul J. Andrade
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    10. Francisco J. Moreno-Ruiz
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    11. Alberto Rodriguez-Cañete
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    13. Eduardo Garcia-Fuentes
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    Corresponding authors

    Correspondence to Sara Garcia-Serrano or Eduardo Garcia-Fuentes.

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    The authors have nothing to disclose.

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    Francisca Rodriguez-Pacheco and Carolina Gutierrez-Repiso have contributed equally to this work.

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    Rodriguez-Pacheco, F., Gutierrez-Repiso, C., Garcia-Serrano, S. et al. The pro-/anti-inflammatory effects of different fatty acids on visceral adipocytes are partially mediated by GPR120. Eur J Nutr 56, 1743–1752 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1222-0

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1222-0

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