Curcumin promotes cholesterol efflux from adipocytes related to PPARgamma-LXRalpha-ABCA1 passway

Curcumin affects the functions of adipocytes. But it is not known whether curcumin has some effect on the cholesterol efflux process of adipocytes. Rabbit subcutaneous adipocytes were incubated with 5, 10 and 20 μg/ml curcumin for 24 h. The cholesterol efflux onto apoAI was assessed, and the peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, liver X receptor (LXR) α and ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) mRNA expression in adipocytes were quantified by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Curcumin increased the cholesterol efflux from adipocytes in dose-dependent manner. The increased expression of PPARγ, LXRα and ABCA1 caused by curcumin were parallel. When the adipocytes were pre-treated by GW9662, the increased expression of PPARγ induced by curcumin was partially prevented, subsequent to the down-regulation of LXRα and ABCA1. Curcumin can affect the cholesterol efflux from adipocytes by regulating the PPARγ-LXR-ABCA1 passway.