2. Academic Validation
  3. Microcystin-RR promote lipid accumulation through CD36 mediated signal pathway and fatty acid uptake in HepG2 cells

Microcystin-RR promote lipid accumulation through CD36 mediated signal pathway and fatty acid uptake in HepG2 cells

  • Environ Res. 2024 Feb 2:249:118402. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118402.
Wenjuan Jia 1,  Lin Zhong 2,  Qingmiao Ren 3,  Da Teng 2,  Lei Gong 4,  Haibin Dong 4,  Jun Li 2,  Chunxiao Wang 4,  Yong-Xing He 5,  Jun Yang 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China; Department of Cardiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, 264000, China. Electronic address: jiawj15@163.com.
  • 2 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China; Department of Cardiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, 264000, China.
  • 3 The Precision Medicine Laboratory, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
  • 4 Department of Cardiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, 264000, China.
  • 5 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China. Electronic address: heyx@lzu.edu.cn.
  • 6 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China; Department of Cardiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, 264000, China. Electronic address: yangjyhd@163.com.
PMID: 38309560 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118402
Abstract

Microcystins (MC)-RR is a significant analogue of MC-LR, which has been identified as a hepatotoxin capable of influencing lipid metabolism and promoting the progression of liver-related metabolic diseases. However, the toxicity and biological function of MC-RR are still not well understood. In this study, the toxic effects and its role in lipid metabolism of MC-RR were investigated in hepatoblastoma cells (HepG2cells). The results demonstrated that MC-RR dose-dependently reduced cell viability and induced Apoptosis. Additionally, even at low concentrations, MC-RR promoted lipid accumulation through up-regulating levels of triglyceride, total Cholesterol, phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethaolamine in HepG2 cells, with no impact on cell viability. Proteomics and transcriptomics analysis further revealed significant alterations in the protein and gene expression profiles in HepG2 cells treated with MC-RR. Bioinformatic analysis, along with subsequent validation, indicated the upregulation of CD36 and activation of the AMPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR in response to MC-RR exposure. Finally, knockdown of CD36 markedly ameliorated MC-RR-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. These findings collectively suggest that MC-RR promotes lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells through CD36-mediated signal pathway and fatty acid uptake. Our findings provide new insights into the hepatotoxic mechanism of MC-RR.

Keywords

AMPK- PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway environmental implication; CD36; Lipid accumulation; Microcystin-RR; Multi-omics analysis.

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