Induced expression of adipophilin mRNA in human macrophages stimulated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein and in atherosclerotic lesions

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) plays a critical role in foam cell formation and atherosclerogenesis. A cDNA encoding adipophilin was identif ied in cultured human macrophages stimulated with OxLDL using mRNA differen tial display. Adipophilin is a 50 kDa protein known to be a specific marker for adipocyte cell differentiation and lipid accumulation in a variety of cells. The time-dependent induction of adipophilin mRNA in macrophages was specific to OxLDL but not native LDL, and not to various cytokines and seru m. In human atherosclerotic lesions, adipophilin mRNA expression was locali zed in a subset of lipid-rich macrophages, These data suggest that adipophi lin-expressing macrophages may represent foam cells and this gene expressio n is likely to be associated with the lipid accumulation in foam cells of t he atherosclerotic lesions. (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Soc ieties.