Ursodeoxycholyl Lysophosphatidylethanolamide (UDCA-LPE) Protects Mouse Hepatocytes from Lipoapoptosis by Upregulating Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase-1

Introduction: We had previously shown that UDCA-LPE induced activation of cell survival PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 pathways, and inhibited TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in hepatocyte cell lines. Our goals are to demonstrate protective role of UDCA-LPE from lipotoxicity in primary mouse hepatocytes, and to delineate mechanism of action involving G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) and the synthesis of triglycerides (TG) that are known to divert saturated fatty acids away from apoptosis. The latter involves stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1). Methods: Primary hepatocytes were prepared from C57/BL6 mice. Active Galphai-GPCR and…