PROGRAMME SCIENTIFIQUE - Oxygen Club of California

P27
Palmitic acid stimulates nitric oxide production in rat skeletal muscle cells by increasing
nuclear factor-kappa B activation and iNOS expression
Rafael H. Lambertucci a , Carol G. Leandro b , Leonardo R. Silveira a , Sandro M. Hirabara a,c , Marco
A. Vinolo a , Adriana C. Levada-Pires a , Rui Curi a , Tania C. Pithon-Curi c
a Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo,
Brazil; b Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil; c Program of Post-
Graduation in Human Movement Sciences, Institute of Physical Activity Sciences and Sports, Cruzeiro
do Sul University, São Paulo, Brazil.
In this work we evaluated the effect of palmitic acid on nitric oxide (NO) production in rat skeletal
muscle cells as well as possible mechanisms involved, such as activation of nuclear factor-kappa B and
regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Primary culture of rat skeletal muscle
cells was treated for one hour with 25 uM of palmitic acid. NO production by primary cultured rat
skeletal muscle cells was examined by two different methods: indirectly, by nitrite measurement (Griess
method) and directly, by using 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate (DAF-2-DA) assay. Nuclear factorkappa
B activation was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and iNOS content by Western
blotting. Palmitic acid increased nitric oxide production in skeletal muscle cells as measured by both
methods: Griess method (120%; p