Fatty Acid Composition, at Equivalent Lipid Exposure, Dictates Human Macrophage Polarization via PPARγ Signaling

Dietary fats are consumed as mixtures, yet it remains unclear whether fatty acid composition, independent of fat content, dictates human macrophage polarization. We compared two defined mixtures containing identical fatty acids (palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids) in different ratios: a palmitate-enriched mixture (4:3:3) and an unsaturated fat-dominant mixture (2:4:4). In primary human monocyte-derived macrophages, palmitate enrichment increased CD14+CD11b+HLA-DR+ pro-inflammatory polarization, whereas the unsaturated fat-dominant mixture increased CD14+CD11b+CD163+ anti-inflammatory polarization. Mechanistic studies in THP-1-derived macrophages recapitulated these phenotype shifts and identified a reciprocal nuclear-receptor program: palmitate enrichment induced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), together with ER-stress mediators EIF2AK3 and DDIT3, while the unsaturated fat-dominant mixture preferentially induced PPARα and IRF4. Pharmacologic modulation demonstrated functional dependence on PPARγ: GW9662 attenuated palmitate-driven M1-like polarization, whereas rosiglitazone disrupted the protective program under unsaturated fat-dominant conditions. These findings show that fatty acid composition, at equivalent total lipid concentration, is a dominant determinant of human macrophage inflammatory fate and highlight PPARγ as a context-dependent lipid sensor.