Life sciences
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Resistin promotes macrophage-foam cell formation, but the mechanisms are unclear. In macrophages, lipid uptake is regulated by scavenger receptors (SR-A and CD36), while the cholesterol efflux is regulated by SR-BI, ATP-binding cassette transporter-A1 (ABCA1) and ABCG1. We investigated the mechanisms underlying the dysregulation by resistin of these regulators leading to promotion of lipid accumulation in bone marrow-derived macrophages. ⋯ Resistin promotes foam cell formation via dysregulation of SR-A, CD36 and ABCA1. SR-A and CD36 are transcriptionally up-regulated by resistin through AP-1 and PPARgamma, respectively, whereas ABCA1 is down-regulated by resistin through proteasome-mediated enhancement of protein degradation.