Phospholipase A2-modified low-density lipoprotein activates macrophage peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors modulating metabolic and inflammatory responses of phagocytes to stimuli such as fatty acids and their metabolites. We studied the role of PPARs in macrophages exposed to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) modified by secretory phospholipase A(2) (PLA). METHODS AND RESULTS By analyzing PPAR ligand-binding domain luciferase reporter activation, we observed that PLA-LDL transactivates PPARalpha and PPARdelta, but not PPARgamma. We confirmed that PLA-LDL induced PPAR response element reporter activation by endogenous PPARalpha and PPARdelta in human THP-1 macrophages. By using THP-1 cells with a stable knockdown of PPARalpha and PPARdelta, we showed that PLA-LDL-activated PPARdelta altered macrophage gene expression related to lipid metabolism and lipid droplet formation. Although PPARalpha/delta silencing did not affect cholesterol and triglyceride accumulation in PLA-LDL-treated macrophages, PPARdelta activation by PLA-LDL attenuated macrophage inflammatory gene expression induced by interferon gamma and lipopolysaccharide. CONCLUSIONS PPARdelta activation by PLA-LDL does not influence lipid accumulation in PLA-LDL-treated macrophages. However, it attenuates macrophage inflammatory responses, thus contributing to an anti-inflammatory cell phenotype.