Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Niacin downregulates chemokine (c-c motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) expression and inhibits fat synthesis in rat liver cells

Xuekun Xing¹ , Hui Wang², Lan Zhao², Yunxiao Bai², Fei Xie², Junjie He², Chenxi Lv²

¹School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin Guangxi 541199; ²Department of Life Sciences and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China.

For correspondence:- Xuekun Xing Email: biyingxiao@163.com Tel:+8615637382107

Accepted: 22 April 2020 Published: 31 May 2020

Citation: Xing X, Wang H, Zhao L, Bai Y, Xie F, He J, et al. Niacin downregulates chemokine (c-c motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) expression and inhibits fat synthesis in rat liver cells. Trop J Pharm Res 2020; 19(5):977-982 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v19i5.10

© 2020 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To elucidate the role of chemokine (c-c motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in fat metabolism in hepatocytes.

Methods: Following partial hepatectomy, regenerated rat liver cells were isolated and cultured for 24 h were transfected with recombinant plasmid pEGFP-N1-CCL2 using liposomes. Niacin was added to the culture medium to inhibit fat synthesis. CCL2 expression was measured using western blot, while the expression of acly-coa synthetase long chain family 4 (ACSL4) and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) were assessed using real-time PCR.

Results: At 12 h after transfection, GFP-positive rates in the pEGFP-N1 and pEGFP-N1-CCL2 transfection groups were 42.4 ± 5.6 % and 45.1 ± 3.5 %, respectively. expression levels of CCL2 increased over time in pEGFP-N1 transfection group, pEGFP-N1-ccl2 transfection group, and niacin and pEGFP-N1-ccl2 transfection co-treatment group; however, CCL2 expression levels in the niacin and pEGFP-N1-ccl2 transfection co-treatment groups were similar to that of pEGFP-N1 transfection group, which were significantly lower than those of the pEGFP-N1-ccl2 transfection group. expression level trends of fat-related genes ACSL4 and ApoE were similar to that of CCL2.

Conclusion: Niacin downregulates the expression of CCL2, thereby inhibiting lipid synthesis in liver cells.

Keywords: Chemokine 2, Niacin, Hepatectomy, Lipid synthesis, Transfection