The neurotrophic effect of oleic acid includes dendritic differentiation and the expression of the neuronal basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor NeuroD2.

We have shown recently that the presence of albumin in astrocytes triggers the synthesis and release of oleic acid, which behaves as a neurotrophic factor for neurons. Thus, oleic acid promotes axonal growth together with the expression of the axonal growth-associated protein, GAP-43. Here we attempted to elucidate whether the neurotrophic effect of oleic acid includes dendritic differentiation.

Transcytosis of albumin in astrocytes activates the sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, which promotes the synthesis of the neurotrophic factor oleic acid.

We have recently reported that albumin, a serum protein present in the developing brain, stimulates the synthesis of oleic acid by astrocytes, which promotes neuronal differentiation. In this work, we gain insight into the mechanism by which albumin induces the synthesis of this neurotrophic factor. Our results show that astrocytes internalize albumin in vesicle-like structures by receptor-mediated endocytosis.