HDL biology
Polyunsaturated fatty acids arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic halve CETP mRNA expression in HepG2 liver cells (Lipids 2001)
Original title: Regulation by long-chain fatty acids of the expression of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in HepG2 cells
To test whether long-chain fatty acids regulate CETP gene expression, HepG2 cells were treated with 0.5 mM long-chain fatty acids (more than 18 carbons) for 48 h at 37 degrees C under 5% CO2, and CETP mRNA was measured by RNA blot hybridization. After treatment with arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), CETP mRNA levels fell to less than 50% of control levels (AA, P = 0.0005; EPA, P < 0.01; DHA, P < 0.0001), with a corresponding significant decrease in CETP mass. These results indicate that fatty acids regulate CETP gene expression in HepG2 cells, and that this effect depends on the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid carbon chain.
Original abstract
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is an important determinant of lipoprotein function, especially high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism, and contributes to the regulation of plasma HDL levels. Since saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA) appear to influence the CETP activity differently, we decided to investigate the effects of FA on the expression of CETP mRNA in HepG2 cells using an RNA blot hybridization analysis. Long-chain FA (>18 carbons) at a 0.5 mM concentration were added to the medium and incubated with cells for 48 h at 37 degrees C under 5% CO2. After treatment with 0.5 mM arachidonic (AA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the levels of CETP mRNA were less than 50% of the control levels (AA, P = 0.0005; EPA, P < 0.01; DHA, P < 0.0001), with a corresponding significant decrease in the CETP mass. These results suggest that FA regulate the gene expression of CETP in HepG2 and this effect is dependent upon the degree of unsaturation of the acyl carbon chain in FA.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.