Abstract
Purpose :
Sterculic acid (SA) is a cyclopropene fatty acid presents in Sterculia foetida seeds, although it is also present in many other seeds. Different studies have demonstrated that this lipid has many effects over cells biological activities, generally attributed to its Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) inhibitory properties. Scd1 has demonstrated to be a new potential target for many diseases as result of the central role this gene in lipid metabolism and body weight control. Lipid accumulation in drusen deposits of retina has been also associated to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. Here we pretend to evaluate the molecular pathways altered by SA treatment to prevent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) induced cell death.
Methods :
Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis were carried out in mRPE cells, exposed to SA for 24 h, and an integrative functional enrichment analysis of genome-wide expression data were made to provide insights into the cellular protective mechanisms induced by SA
Results :
The expression of pivotal genes related to lipid metabolism was altered as result of the SA biological activity. Furthermore, steroid biosynthesis, cell death, actin-cytoskeleton reorganization or extracellular matrix-receptor genes were significantly modified by exposition to SA, while the specific SCD1 inhibitor did not alter the expression of these genes.
Conclusions :
SA administration to RPE cells regulates crucial pathways in a SCD1 independent way that may be of interest for the treatment of ocular diseases.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.