The double bond in unsaturated fatty acids is the necessary and sufficient requirement for the inhibition of expression of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules through interference with nuclear factor‐κB activation

• Published in: Lipids Vol. 34; no. S1Part2; pp. S213 - S214
• Main Authors: Massaro, M., Carluccio, M. A., Bonfrate, C., Siculella, L., Lazzerini, G., Bernini, W., Basta, G., De Caterina, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer‐Verlag 01-01-1999
• ISSN: 0024-4201; 1558-9307
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02562293

Conclusions
These results indicate that the single double bond present in oleic acid is a necessary and sufficient requirement for FA inhibition of endothelial activation. Since this occurred independent of the stimuli used and was present also with PMA, bypassing membrane receptors, these results point to an interference with a common signal transduction pathway for cytokine signaling. These results are accounted for by an inhibition of NF‐χB activation, here demonstrated at the same concentrations required for the inhibition of surface protein. Relevance of these observations to explaining the alleged beneficial antiatherogenic effects of the Mediterranean diet, in which oleic acid in olive oil is a major nutritional component, could lie in the relatively selective displacement of saturated FA by oleate addition to endothelial cells which was also shown to occur in our system. Thus, an increase in the unsaturation index in cell membranes by oleic acid‐rich diets is theoretically additive to the effects of polyunsaturated FA. By these mechanisms, monocyte recruitment in response to atherogenic stimuli might be decreased (3).