AMPK activators suppress cholesterol accumulation in macrophages via suppression of the mTOR pathway

In this study, we found that activation of AMPK by AICAR and metformin inhibits foam cell formation via suppression of mTOR in macrophages. Specifically, activation of AMPK indirectly reduced the phosphorylation level of mTOR at Ser2448 and promoted the expression of cholesterol efflux transporters and cholesterol efflux. These inhibitory effects on foam cell formation were counteracted by mTOR activators. Metformin, a more nonspecific AMPK activator than AICAR, appears to inhibit foam cell formation via anti-inflammatory effects in addition to suppression of the mTOR pathway. The results of this study suggest that the development of new drugs targeting AMPK activation and mTOR inhibition may lead to beneficial results in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.PMID:37730144 | DOI:10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113784

Source: Cell Research - September 20, 2023 Category: Cytology Authors: Reina Owaki Hiromasa Aoki Kohki Toriuchi Yasumichi Inoue Hidetoshi Hayashi Satoru Takeshita Hiroki Kakita Yasumasa Yamada Mineyoshi Aoyama Source Type: research