Fumaric acid esters can block pro-inflammatory actions of human CRP and ameliorate metabolic disturbances in transgenic spontaneously hypertensive rats

PLoS One. 2014 Jul 10;9(7):e101906. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101906. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Inflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic disturbances. Esters of fumaric acid, mainly dimethyl fumarate, exhibit immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that fumaric acid ester (FAE) treatment of an animal model of inflammation and metabolic syndrome, the spontaneously hypertensive rat transgenically expressing human C-reactive protein (SHR-CRP), will ameliorate inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic disturbances. We studied the effects of FAE treatment by administering Fumaderm, 10 mg/kg body weight for 4 weeks, to male SHR-CRP. Untreated male SHR-CRP rats were used as controls. All rats were fed a high sucrose diet. Compared to untreated controls, rats treated with FAE showed significantly lower levels of endogenous CRP but not transgenic human CRP, and amelioration of inflammation (reduced levels of serum IL6 and TNFα) and oxidative stress (reduced levels of lipoperoxidation products in liver, heart, kidney, and plasma). FAE treatment was also associated with lower visceral fat weight and less ectopic fat accumulation in liver and muscle, greater levels of lipolysis, and greater incorporation of glucose into adipose tissue lipids. Analysis of gene expression profiles in the liver with Affymetrix arrays revealed that FAE treatment was associated with differential expression of genes in pathways that involve the regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress. These findings suggest potentially important anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and metabolic effects of FAE in a model of inflammation and metabolic disturbances induced by human CRP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / therapeutic use
  • C-Reactive Protein / genetics*
  • Fumarates / pharmacology*
  • Fumarates / therapeutic use
  • Hemodynamics / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Male
  • Metabolic Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Metabolic Syndrome / genetics
  • Metabolic Syndrome / metabolism*
  • Metabolic Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred SHR
  • Transcriptome / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Fumarates
  • C-Reactive Protein

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grant NT/14325 from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant MH CZ – DRO (“Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine - IKEM, IN 0002301”) and grants LH12061 to VL and LL1204 (within the ERC CZ program) from the Ministry Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic to MP. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.