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We have identified a novel omega-hydroxy-alkanedicarboxylic acid, ESP 55016, that favorably alters serum lipid variables in obese female Zucker (fa/fa) rats. ESP 55016 reduced serum non-HDL-cholesterol (non-HDL-C), triglyceride, and nonesterified fatty acid levels while increasing serum HDL-C and beta-hydroxybutyrate levels in a dose-dependent manner. ESP 55016 reduced fasting serum insulin and glucose levels while also suppressing weight gain. In primary rat hepatocytes, ESP 55016 increased the oxidation of [(14)C]palmitate in a dose- and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-I (CPT-I)-dependent manner. Furthermore, in primary rat hepatocytes and in vivo, ESP 55016 inhibited fatty acid and sterol synthesis. The "dual inhibitor" activity of ESP 55016 was unlikely attributable to the activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway because AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation states as well as ACC activity were not altered by ESP 55016. Further studies indicated the conversion of ESP 55016 to a CoA derivative in vivo. ESP 55016-CoA markedly inhibited the activity of partially purified ACC. The activity of partially purified HMG-CoA reductase was not altered by the xenobiotic-CoA. These data suggest that ESP 55016-CoA favorably alters lipid metabolism in a model of diabetic dyslipidemia in part by initially inhibiting fatty acid and sterol synthesis plus enhancing the oxidation of fatty acids through the ACC/malonyl-CoA/CPT-I regulatory axis.

In the current studies we describe the effects of PD 72953 and related compounds on lipoprotein levels in chowfed male rats. After 2 weeks, 10 mg/kg of PD 72953 daily was as effective as 100 mg/kg gemfibrozil for elevating HDL-cholesterol. At 100 mg/kg, PD 72953 further elevated HDL-cholesterol to 232% of control levels, and was associated with increased HDL size and plasma apoE (169% of control), despite no change in hepatic apoE mRNA. ApoA-I rose transiently (at 1 week), but by 2 weeks only apoE remained elevated. PD 72953 dose-dependently reduced plasma apoB, VLDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride. Hepatic apoC-III mRNA reduction parallelled triglyceride lowering. After 1 week, 30 and 100 mg/kg per day PD 72953 reduced plasma apoC-III levels by 30 and 34%, and triglycerides by 60 and 83%, respectively. PD 72953 treatment had no effect on triglyceride production rates; however,125I-labeled VLDL apoB disappearance was enhanced. We compared PD 72953 to a structurally similary diacid, PD 69405, that also reduced VLDL and LDL, but had no effect on HDL elevation. Compared to PD 72953, PD 69405 further accelerated 125I-labeled VLDL apoB disappearance, decreased triglyceride production, and elevated the ratio of post-heparin hepatic to lipoprotein lipase activity. Whole animal studies, transient transfection studies in HepG2 cells, and chimeric receptor studies in kidney 293 cells suggest that PD 72953 is a ligand for the peroxisomal proliferation activated receptor alpha (PPARα), and PPARγ. Overall, PD 72953 may act through a peroxisomal proliferation activated receptor and result in plasma triglycerides and apoB-containing lipoprotein reduction, while also raising HDL cholesterol. Reduced apoC-III may allow triglyceride-rich remnants to more efficiently bind and present substrate to peripheral tissue lipoprotein lipase, and therefore allow enhanced shedding of remnant phospholipid surface for HDL production.—Bisgaier, C. L., A. D. Essenburg, B. C. Barnett, B. J. Auerbach, S. Haubenwallner, T. L, A. D. White, P. Creger, M. E. Pape, T. J. Rea, and R. S. Newton. A novel compound that elevates high density lipoprotein and activates the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor. J. Lipid Res. 1998. 39: 17–30.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibits the accumulation of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA by decreasing the rate of ACC gene transcription. The ACC mRNA species found in 30A5 cells are generated from promoter II and TNF inhibits the accumulation of class 2 type mRNAs. By using 5' deletion mutants of promoter II fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene, the DNA mobility shift assay and the DNase I footprinting assay, the authors have identified the 30 bp from −389 to −359 as the TNF responsive element in promoter II. TNF treatment causes a decrease in the binding activity of nuclear protein(s) specific to the TNF responsive element. When the fragment containing the TNF responsive element was incorporated into the thymidine kinase promoter, the chimeric gene exhibited TNF induced inhibition of expression.

The biological activity of some long hydrocarbon keto-diols (and their phosphate esters) and acids, has been correlated with their lipohilicity. IC50 values of the hepatocyte lipid synthesis inhibition (in vitro) were used to measure biological activity; lipohilicities were calculated by employing a 3D molecular size approach implemented in a QLogP software package. Although no quantitative correlation was observed, the results of the study might be significant for in vivo application of these compounds as potential cardiovascular agents.

Poly(A)+ RNA from lactating rat mammary glands was size-fractionated to enrich the relative amount of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA. The enriched mRNA was used to generate a lambda gt11 cDNA library. Initial screening with polyclonal antiserum to acetyl-CoA carboxylase produced three positive clones. Western blot analysis revealed that two clones, lambda DH3 and lambda KH18, synthesized 165,000-dalton proteins that were recognized by antibodies to acetyl-CoA carboxylase and beta-galactosidase, indicating that acetyl-CoA carboxylase/beta-galactosidase fusion proteins were produced. Competition experiments with purified acetyl-CoA carboxylase further demonstrated that the fusion proteins contained acetyl-CoA carboxylase protein segments. Antibodies which are specific to the fusion proteins were isolated. These antibodies cross-reacted only with acetyl-CoA carboxylase in a preparation of partially purified acetyl-CoA carboxylase. In addition, the antibodies immunoprecipitated enzyme activity from a crude liver homogenate. Northern blot analysis of total RNA revealed two RNA species: one 10 kilobases and the other 3.0 kilobases. The levels of these RNA species increased when starved animals were fed a fat-free diet, indicating that they are coordinately regulated.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is secreted by macrophages in response to various stimuli and blocks lipid accumulation during the conversion of preadipocytes to adipocytes in culture. In the present report, we investigate the effect of recombinant TNF on the expression of acetyl-coenzyme-A (CoA) carboxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme for long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis. We used a preadipocyte cell line, 30A-5, derived from 10T1/2 mouse fibroblasts after treatment with 5-azacytidine. Treatment of the preadipocyte cell line with dexamethasone and insulin triggers the conversion of these cells to mature adipocytes as evidenced by the accumulation of lipid. The mRNA and enzyme levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase as well as the enzyme activity increase markedly during the conversion process. TNF prevents the conversion of preadipocytes to adipocytes with a concomitant inhibition in the accumulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA and decrease in enzyme activity. This observed reduction in acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA levels is reversible upon removal of TNF. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA levels and enzyme activity also decrease when fully differentiated adipocytes are exposed to TNF but to a much lesser extent. These results suggest that TNF affects de novo lipid synthesis in part by altering the mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) carboxylase activity, amount, and mRNA levels increase during the differentiation of 30A-5 preadipocytes to adipocytes. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) completely prevents this differentiation, with concomitant inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA accumulation. To investigate the mechanisms by which TNF prevents acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA accumulation, we determined the effect of TNF on the transcription rate of the carboxylase gene and the half-life of carboxylase mRNA. Nuclear runoff transcription assays revealed no differences in the number of RNA polymerase molecules actively engaged in transcription of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene in preadipocytes, adipocytes, TNF-treated preadipocytes, or at any time during the course of differentiation. However, changes in adipsin, glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, and actin mRNAs, whose levels are also differentiation dependent, can be accounted for in part by changes in the number of polymerase complexes on their respective genes. To determine whether TNF caused a decrease in the stability of carboxylase RNA transcripts, we measured the rate of decay of prelabeled acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA. Control and TNF-treated cells showed no difference between the apparent half-lives of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNAs (9 h). However, the rate of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA synthesis in vivo was decreased three- to fourfold in the presence of TNF. These data demonstrate that TNF prevents accumulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA during preadipocyte differentiation by decreasing the rate of acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene transcription. However, transcriptional control is not due to a change in the number of RNA polymerase complexes actively engaged in carboxylase transcript elongation which could be measured by a number runoff assay. Instead, transcriptional control may be related to the rate at which RNA polymerase traverses the acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene.