AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 259, Issue 2 442-H447, Copyright © 1990 by American Physiological Society
Effect of endothelial cell denudation on fatty acid metabolism by rabbit aorta
I. Takasaki, R. A. Cohen, A. V. Chobanian and P. Brecher
Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts 02118.
The potential regulatory role of vascular endothelial cells in fatty acid
uptake and metabolism by arterial tissue was studied in vitro using aortic
segments from New Zealand White rabbits. Endothelium was left intact or was
removed either by scraping with forceps or by rubbing with a cotton swab.
Aortic segments were incubated with [14C]oleate or [14C]arachidonate, and
oxidation and esterification were measured. Endothelial cell denudation by
forceps or cotton swab caused a decrease in oxidation of both oleic and
arachidonic acid. Esterification of oleic and arachidonic acid into
phospholipid was also significantly reduced by removing the endothelium;
the percent reduction was less when endothelium was removed by cotton swab
than it was by forceps. Incorporation into phospholipid was reduced by
cotton swab treatment, but incorporation into triglyceride was unaffected.
Forceps treatment reduced oleic acid esterification into both triglyceride
and phospholipid. The studies suggest that arterial endothelium has a role
in fatty acid oxidation and esterification and that fatty acid utilization
may be a useful metabolic index of vascular injury.
