Thromb Haemost 2009; 101(06): 1060-1069
DOI: 10.1160/TH08-03-0164
Blood Coagulation, Fibrinolysis and Cellular Haemostasis
Schattauer GmbH

Inhibition by fibrates of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 expression in human adipocytes and preadipocytes

Andreas Zirlik
1   Department of Cardiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
,
Sandra Ernst
1   Department of Cardiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
,
Anne Leugers
1   Department of Cardiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
,
Florian Willecke
1   Department of Cardiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
,
Burton E. Sobel
2   Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA
,
Christoph Bode
1   Department of Cardiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
,
Thomas K. Nordt
3   Department of Cardiology, Katharinenhospital, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
› Institutsangaben

Financial support: This study was supported by grants from the University of Freiburg and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to A.Z. (DFG ZI 743/1–1 and 3–1) and by a grant from Astra Zeneca to T.K.N.
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Publikationsverlauf

Received: 14. März 2008

Accepted after major revision: 24. Februar 2009

Publikationsdatum:
24. November 2017 (online)

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Summary

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), an established marker and mediator of cardiovascular risk, is produced extensively in adipose tissue. Fibrates are hypolipidemic peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) agonists. Recent laboratory and clinical observations indicate that they are also anti-atherosclerotic. Mechanisms responsible, however, remain to be fully understood. The present study was designed to elucidate modulation of PAI-1 expression in adipose cells by fibrates as a potential mechanism. Expression of PPARα was verified by PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. In cultured preadipocytes and adipocytes gemfibrozil and fenofibrate significantly reduced PAI-1 protein expression by up to 55 ± 5% and 34 ± 4% under basal conditions and up to 56 ± 6% and 31 ± 6% under conditions of stimulation of the cells with 40 pM trans-Keywords forming growth factor (TGF)β, respectively. Quantification of mRNA showed that the gemfibrozil-induced effect was at least in part regulated at the transcriptional level. Incubations with non-fibrate PPARα agonists showed similar reductions in PAI-1 expression. The decrease in PAI-1 expression induced by gemfibrozil was inhibited by MK886, a PPARα inhibitor. Furthermore, preadipocytes isolated from PPARα-deficient mice produced significantly more PAI-1 than those from wild-type mice upon stimulation with TGFβ. Finally, fenofibrate reduced PAI-1 expression both in plasma and adipose tissue of hyperlipidemic mice. Our data support the view that PPARα activation down-regulates PAI-expression in adipose cells that may contribute in part to the reduction in cardiovascular mortality seen with fibrates in clinical trials.