Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have been reported to play a protective role against atherosclerosis in both animal models and patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, since T2D is associated with dyslipidemia, hypertension and insulin resistance, part of which are ameliorated by DPP-4 inhibitors, it remains unclear whether DPP-4 inhibitors could have anti-atherosclerotic properties directly by attenuating the harmful effects of hyperglycemia. Therefore, we examined whether a DPP-4 inhibitor, teneligliptin, could suppress oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) uptake, foam cell formation, CD36 and acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) gene expression of macrophages isolated from streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes (T1D) mice and T1D patients as well as advanced glycation end product (AGE)-exposed mouse peritoneal macrophages and THP-1 cells. Foam cell formation, CD36 and ACAT-1 gene expression of macrophages derived from T1D mice or patients increased compared with those from non-diabetic controls, all of which were inhibited by 10 nmol/L teneligliptin. AGEs mimicked the effects of T1D; teneligliptin attenuated all the deleterious effects of AGEs in mouse macrophages and THP-1 cells. Our present findings suggest that teneligliptin may inhibit foam cell formation of macrophages in T1D via suppression of CD36 and ACAT-1 gene expression partly by attenuating the harmful effects of AGEs.
Keywords: ACAT-1; AGEs; CD36; DPP-4 inhibitors; macrophage foam cell formation; type 1 diabetes.