Uncoupling proteins (UCPs), members of the mitochondrial anion carrier family, play a pivotal role in thermogenesis, redox balance, reactive oxygen species and many other cellular processes. They were extensively studied in mammalian species and have been shown to be tightly regulated at transcriptional and translational levels by various environmental and hormonal factors. Such studies are very limited in avian species which represent a unique model because they lack brown adipose tissue and they contain only one UCP (av-UCP) predominantly expressed in the muscle. The present study aimed, therefore, to determine the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNFα) and energy homeostasis-related hormones (leptin and T3) on the expression of av-UCP and its related transcription factors in quail myoblast (QM7) cells.

Leptin treatment for 24 h significantly down-regulated av-UCP, and up-regulated PGC-1α, PPARα, and PPARγ expression in QM7 cells. IL-6 and TNFα administration significantly up-regulated the expression of av-UCP, however T3 had a biphasic effects (up-regulation with low dose and down-regulation with high dose) on av-UCP mRNA levels (P < .05). TNFα significantly induced PPARα and PPARγ mRNA abundances, however T3 and IL-6 down-regulated PPARα expression (P < .05).

Together, these data are the first to report cytokine and hormonal regulation of av-UCP in avian muscle cells, suggesting that these effects are mediated through PPARs and PGC-1α, and opening a new vista for future functional and mechanistic studies.

线粒体阴离子载体家族的成员解偶联蛋白（UCP）在生热，氧化还原平衡，活性氧和许多其他细胞过程中起着关键作用。它们已在哺乳动物物种中进行了广泛研究，并已显示出它们在转录和翻译水平上受到各种环境和激素因素的严格调控。这样的研究在代表独特模型的禽类物种中非常有限，因为它们缺乏棕色脂肪组织，并且仅包含一种主要在肌肉中表达的UCP（av-UCP）。因此，本研究旨在确定促炎细胞因子（IL-6和TNFα）和能量稳态相关激素（瘦素和T3）对鹌鹑成肌细胞av-UCP及其相关转录因子表达的影响（ QM7）细胞。

瘦素处理24小时会显着下调av-UCP，并上调QM7细胞中的PGC-1α，PPARα和PPARγ表达。IL-6和TNFα的给药显着上调了av-UCP的表达，但是T3对av-UCP mRNA的水平具有双相作用（低剂量上调而高剂量下调）（P  <.05） 。TNFα显着诱导PPARα和PPARγmRNA的丰度，但是T3和IL-6下调PPARα的表达（P  <.05）。

总之，这些数据是第一个报告禽肌细胞中av-UCP的细胞因子和激素调节的数据，表明这些作用是通过PPAR和PGC-1α介导的，为未来的功能和机制研究开辟了新的前景。