OBJECTIVETo study the effect of oleic acid (OA) on expression of aquaglyceroporin genes, AQP3 and AQP9, in hepatocyte steatosis and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms using an in vitro system.

METHODSHepG2 cells were treated with OA at different concentration to establish in vitro models of nonalcoholic hepatocyte steatosis. The corresponding extents of hepatic steatosis modeling were assessed by oil red O staining and optical density (OD) measurements of the intracellular fat content. The model lines were then treated with inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK signaling pathway factors and effects on AQP3/9 expression was measured by real time RT-PCR and western blotting.

RESULTSThe fat concentration, indicative of hepatic steatosis, increased in conjunction with increased concentrations of OA (0 less than 250 less than 500 mumol/L). OA exposure also down-regulated AQP3 mRNA and up-regulated AQP9 mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. The most robust changes in expression occurred in response to the 500 mumol/L concentration of OA for both AQP3 (0.47+/-0.18; t = 4.5450, P less than 0.05) and AQP9 (1.57+/-0.21; t = 3.0306, P less than 0.05). Treatment with OA + PI3K pathway inhibitor (LY294004) significantly decreased AQP9 mRNA expression (4.55+/-0.62) as compared to the control group (1.00+/-0.10; t = 9.7909, P less than 0.01), that 500 mumol/L OA group (2.43+/-0.53; t = 4.5018, P less than 0.05), and the LY294002 group (1.90+/-0.16; t = 7.1683, P less than 0.01). Treatment with p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor (SB230580) significantly increased the OA-suppressed level of AQP3 mRNA to the level detected in the control group (1.27+/-0.11; t = 5.7455, P less than 0.01) and decreased the OA-stimulated AQP9 mRNA (0.38+/-0.09; t = 6.5727, P less than 0.01). No significant changes in mRNA expression of AQP3/9 were observed with inhibition of the ERK1/2 and JNK signal transduction pathways. The OA-induced changes in protein expression levels of AQR3 and AQP9 followed a similar trend of the genes. Finally, OA suppressed the level of phosphorylated Akt (from 0.21+/-0.02 to 0.13+/-0.03; t = 3.8431, P less than 0.05) but elevated the level of phosphorylated p38 (from 0.58+/-0.06 to 1.02+/-0.10; t = 12.5289, P less than 0.01). Again, OA treatment produced no significant affect on ERK1/2 and JNK phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONOA down-regulates AQP3 expression by stimulating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, and up-regulates the AQP9 by blocking the PI3K/Akt pathway and activating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.