Abstract
The fat-1 transgenic mice were used as models, to investigate the effects of n-3PUFAs on body weight, the expression of inflammation and autophagy in mice, and to explore its mechanism. The mice were divided into two groups: fat-1 transgenic mice and wild-type mice. The body weight and body length were measured and the index of body weight/body length was calculated regularly every week for 8 weeks. Cardiac blood was collected for determination of TG, CT, HDL-C, LDL-C and BG. Frozen sections of liver were stained by Oil Red O to observe the lipid droplets. The expression of autophagy proteins P62, LC3 and ATG7 in the hypothalamus were detected by western blot, and the relative quantitative analysis was performed. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to quantify the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IFN-γ, MCP-1, TLR-4 and adiponectin in epididymal adipose tissue. The body weight/body length of fat-1 transgenic mice was significantly lower than that of wild-type mice(P<0.05), the levels of TG, CT, HDL-C, LDL-C and BG in the serum of fat-1 transgenic mice were significantly lower than those in wild-type mice(P<0.05). Lipid droplets in the liver of fat-1 transgenic mice were significantly less. The expression of P62 in fat-1 transgenic mice was significantly down-regulated (P <0.05), while the expression of ATG7 was significantly increased (P <0.05), and the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ / Ⅰ was significantly increased(P<0.05). The results of real-time quantitative PCR showed that the mRNA relative expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IFN-γ, MCP-1 and TLR-4 in epididymal fat tissue of fat-1 transgenic mice was significantly decreased, and the expression of adiponectin was increased (P < 0.05). n-3PUFAs reduce the body weight to prevent obesity may by up-regulation of hypothalamic autophagy, and down-regulation of inflammation in peripheral fat.
Highlights
At present, obesity is widespread in the world, and the population is increasing year by year, which seriously affects human health[1]
N-3PUFAs dehydrogenase which was encoded by the fat-1 gene from C. elegans, converts n-6PUFAs to n-3PUFAs spontaneously in vivo
We found that the body weight of transgenic mice were significantly lower than that of wild-type mice, this finding was consistent with previous research[16]
Summary
Obesity is widespread in the world, and the population is increasing year by year, which seriously affects human health[1]. Autophagy is a highly conserved life-form in eukaryotes that maintains homeostasis and adapts to changes of the microenvironment, which is the self-renewal mechanism in response to external stimuli and internal changes[9] It plays an important role in cell differentiation, material metabolism and the balance of energy. Autophagy regulates the feeding behavior and energy balance of the central neurons in the hypothalamus that controls the appetite. It promotes peripheral fat mobilization and controls the weight.[10; 11]. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFAs) is the essential fatty acids, which has the effect of resisting obesity, lowering blood glucose, lowering blood fat and anti inflammation[12]. The data are presented as an average of the three measurements
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