Fatty acid composition and mRNA expression levels of lipid-metabolic genes in the muscles of ovariectomised young goats

Abstract

This study investigated the fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) genes in the Longissimus dorsi muscle (LD) and Biceps femoris muscle (BF) of nine ovariectomised young goats, 50 days after ovariectomy at 5 months of age, relative to nine Control goats. Ovariectomy resulted in faster growth rates (130 vs 110 g/days; P = 0.027), more intramuscular fat (3.37% vs 1.62%; P = 0.009) and heavier final weights (28.3 vs 26.6 kg; P = 0.035). The total saturated fatty acid, C15:0 in the LD and C6:0, C11:0, C12:0, C15:0 and C21:0 in the BF were lower in ovariectomised goats than that in the Control goats (P < 0.05). Ovariectomy increased the total monounsaturated fatty acids in the LD (P < 0.05) and BF (P < 0.01). In the BF, the total polyunsaturated fatty acids and C18:2 of ovariectomised goats were lower than those of the Control goats (P < 0.05), and the C20:2 content significantly decreased in the LD (P < 0.05). The LD of the ovariectomised goats expressed significantly higher FAS but lower HSL mRNA levels than those of Control goats (P < 0.01). Significantly higher ACC, FAS and LPL and lower HSL mRNA levels were observed in the BF of the ovariectomised goats than in the BF of Controls (P < 0.05). These data suggest that ovariectomy affects fatty acid composition potentially by altering the expression of lipid-metabolic genes in the muscles of young goats.