The Influence Of Different Fatty Acids On Endothelial Cells Morphology And Function

Fat is one of the three basic essential nutrients. With the in-depth research of fatty acids, it is recognized that free fatty acids have a close relationship with the health of our bodies, and that various free fatty acids present very different effects. However, the detailed mechanisms by which fatty acids with different structures influence the morphology and functions of endothelial cells remain unclear. In this study, we used human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) as a model of adherent cells to investigate the effects of approximately13types of fatty acids on spreading area, spreading rate, and the length of the cytoskeleton of HUVECs. We found that saturated and trans fatty acids have an inhibitory effect on the endothelial cell morphology whereas cis-fatty acids has little effect. Interestingly, both conjugated trans fatty acids and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g. EPA and DHA) also have no effect on endothelial cell morphology. Moreover, we further analyzed the effects of these fatty acids on the biological functions of endothelial cells. Saturated and trans fatty acids were found to inhibite the adhesion of HUVECs on a substrate, cell proliferation, cell migration, production or release of nitric oxides, and the expressions of adhesion molecules (e.g. VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and E-selectin), whereas conjugated cis-fatty acids and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have no significant effect. The results of this study will help us to understand the roles of different types of fatty acids in the regulation of endothelial cell functions.