Measurement of lipid droplets in peripheral immune cells shows an immunomodulatory effect on monocyte polarization in experimental dyslipidaemia

Yu Ping Hung, Chia Ling Chen, Po Chun Tseng, Rahmat Dani Satria, Mei Chieh Chen, Chiou Feng Lin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Intracellular lipid droplet (LD) generation is the primary site of energy storage, which is necessary for physiological homeostasis but is related to pathological metabolic disorders. Lipid metabolism is critical for maintaining innate and adaptive immunity; however, it is mainly undefined in peripheral immune cells. Flow cytometry-based immune profiling in healthy peripheral blood cells showed significant original generation of LDs in dendritic cells (DCs, CD3CD19CD56CD11+), monocytes (CD3CD19CD56CD14+), natural killer cells (NK, CD3CD19CD56+), and B cells (CD3CD19+). CD36, a common scavenger receptor of lipids, was also highly expressed in LD-accumulated DCs and monocytes. Following short-term treatment with oxidized LDL (oxLDL) in an experimental ex vivo model, CD14+ monocytes showed an effective increase in LD generation, but there were no alterations in the immune cell populations. Furthermore, oxLDL-treated CD14+ monocytes displayed CD36 expression. However, oxLDL-primed CD14+ monocytes showed a blockade in the uptake of extra oxLDL, even while expressing increased CD36, indicating a defect in lipid clearance. Exogenous treatment with oxLDL caused monocyte type 1 polarization accompanied by increased LD accumulation and CD36 expression. This study describes a method to monitor LD generation and CD36 expression in peripheral immune cells and identified an immunomodulatory effect of oxLDL on monocytes by tilting them towards type 1 polarization.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)73-80
Number of pages8
JournalBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Volume650
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2 2023

Keywords

  • CD36
  • Immune cells
  • Lipid droplets
  • Monocyte polarization
  • OxLDL

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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