Oleic acid modulates perilipin expression and lipid droplet contents in TGFβ1 activated HSCs

Hepatic stellate cell activation is characterized by loss of cytoplasmic lipid droplets and acquisition of a profibrogenic phenotype; however, the contribution of lipid droplet-associated perilipins remains poorly understood. We investigated differential perilipin modulation during TGFβ1 induced activation of LX-2 cells and whether lipid storage restoration could reverse altered perilipin expression and fibrogenic features. TGFβ1 stimulation induced enhanced proliferation, fibroblast-like morphology, reduced neutral lipid accumulation, and increased fibrotic marker expression, associated with a distinct perilipin remodelling pattern: suppression of PLIN2 and induction of PLIN3 and PLIN5, indicating selective adaptation of LD machinery. Oleic acid supplementation partially restored intracellular LDs, selectively increased PLIN2, and showed differential effects on PLIN3 and PLIN5, with a trend toward reduced fibrotic markers, though not statistically significant. These findings suggest perilipin remodelling reflects metabolic adaptation in activated HSCs, and LD restoration alone is insufficient to reverse fibrogenic activation.