The Journal of nutritional biochemistry
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Interaction between adipocytes and macrophages has been suggested to play a central role in the pathogenesis of obesity. Ceramide, a sphingolipid de novo synthesized from palmitate, is known to stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion from multiple types of cells. To clarify whether de novo synthesized ceramide contributes to cytokine dysregulation in adipocytes and macrophages, we observed cytokine secretion in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes (L1) and RAW264.7 macrophages (RAW) cultured alone or co-cultured under the suppression of de novo ceramide synthesis. ⋯ The co-culture of L1 with RAW markedly augmented IL-6 and MCP-1 levels in media. Myriocin or fumonisin B1 significantly lowered these cytokine levels and suppressed the gene expression of TNF-α and MCP-1 in RAW and of IL-6 and MCP-1 in L1. In conclusion, de novo synthesized ceramide partially mediates the palmitate effects on pro-inflammatory adipokines and is possibly involved in the interaction with macrophages.