Analysis of phosphatidylcholine lipid fraction in fat-1 animals in the context of wound healing

Abstract

Inflammation is a very important response triggered by tissue injury and its control is crucial for the reestablishment of tissue homeostasis. Nowadays, it is known that the central nervous system (CNS) can regulate the inflammatory response thought the activation of the anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway. This mechanism involves the liberation of acetylcholine (ACH) that will bind to ±-7 nicotinic receptor in immune cells (such as lymphocytes and macrophages) and trigger the phosphorylation of STAT3 that will induce the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, and reduce the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-± and IL-1². We know that fatty acids modulate inflammatory responses through a wide range of actions. For example, they modulate cell membrane composition, affecting the membrane permeability, ligand-receptor interactions, and production of cytokines and regulation of gene expression. However, we don't know if fatty acids can modulate the anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway. In the present project we will investigate if the fatty acid composition of the cell membrane is related to the anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway during the wound healing process. For that, we will use transgenic FAT-1 mice that are able to produce É-3 fatty acids, endogenously, from É-6 fatty acids. We will induce a wound in skin and analyze the fatty acid composition of the tissue at different time-points. At the same time, we will measure the synthesis of ACh in the wound tissue samples