The effect of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) on fatty acid uptake and CD36 localization and lipotoxicity in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is involved in lipotoxicity in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells by altering CD36 membrane localization. Normal A7r5 cells (cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells), Cav-1 overexpressing cells, and cells treated with 10 mM cyclodextrin for 30 minutes were immunolabeled with Cav-1 and CD36. The peripheral to central ratio of CD36 in Cav-1 overexpressing cells (1.52±0.19) was significantly higher than in control cells (1.05±0.16, p=0.035) and cyclodextrin-treated cells (0.861±0.279, p=0.035). Fatty acid uptake at 5, 10, and 15 seconds was quantified with fluorescence of C1BODIPY 500/510 C12, a long-chain fatty acid analog. A7r5 VSM cells overexpressing Cav-1 had decrease a in the rate of fatty acid uptake compared to control cells. Cells treated with cyclodextrin also had a decrease in fatty acid uptake compared to control. Cav-1 overexpressing cells incubated in 0.05 mM palmitate had 31.4±8.8% apoptosis, where only 3.9±1.0% of Cav-1 overexpressing cells incubated in palmitate were apoptotic (p=0.044). Cyclodextrin treatment resulted in a decrease in apoptosis in cells incubated in 0.1 mM palmitate (69.7±2.1%) compared to control cells incubated in palmitate (85.6±2.7%) (p=0.003). These data suggest that in cells overexpressing Cav-1, CD36 is relocated to the plasma membrane of VSM cells, where it may play an increased role in fatty acid uptake and possibly lipotoxicity.