Fatty acids (FAs) are considered not only as a basic nutrient, but are also recognized as signaling molecules acting on various types of receptors. The receptors activated by FAs include the family of rhodopsin-like receptors: GPR40 (FFAR1), GPR41 (FFAR3), GPR43 (FFAR2), GPR120 (FFAR4), and several other, less characterized G-protein coupled receptors (GPR84, GPR109A, GPR170, GPR31, GPR132, GPR119, and Olfr78). The ubiquitously distributed FFAR4 can be activated by saturated and unsaturated medium- and long-chain fatty acids (MCFAs and LCFAs), as well as by several synthetic agonists (e.g., TUG-891). The stimulation of FFAR4 using selective synthetic agonists proved to be promising strategy of reduction of inflammatory reactions in various tissues. In this paper, we summarize the evidence showing the mechanisms of the potential beneficial effects of FFAR4 stimulation in atherosclerosis. Based partly on our own results, we also suggest that an important mechanism of such activity may be the modulatory influence of FFAR4 on the phenotype of macrophage involved in atherogenesis.
Keywords: FFAR4; apoE-knockout mice; atherosclerosis; free fatty acid receptors; inflammation; liver steatosis; macrophages.