Metabolic syndrome is a powerful risk factor not only for the future development of type 2 diabetes but also cardiovascular disease. Alterations of lipid metabolism and inflammatory response in macrophage cells represent a complex pathophysiological process that plays a crucial role in development of metabolic syndrome because macrophage cells accumulate large amounts of lipid and convert to foam cells, which both initiate and actively participate in atherosclerotic lesion development and insulin resistance, as well as other metabolic disorders. Thus, the transformation of macrophages into foam cells is a critical component in the pathophysiological process. A well characterized model system to study the transformation of macrophages to foam cells is the THP-1 human monocytic cell line. THP-1 monocytic cells can be induced to differentiate into macrophages by administration of Phorbol Myristate Acetate (PMA), and resulting macrophages can then be converted to foam cells following treatment with oxidized Low- Density Lipoprotein (oxLDL). The molecular determinants responsible for the transformation of macrophages to foam cells have not been fully elucidated. Here, we decided to capitalize on the advantages of this model system to identify microRNA molecules that are differentially expressed during this cell transformation.
MicroRNA-150 Regulates Lipid Metabolism and Inflammatory Response: Luo N, Garvey WT, Wang D-Z, Fu Y
Last date updated on June, 2023