Perilla oil rich in α-linolenic acid suppresses hepatic SREBPs and NF-κB expression in hypercholesterolemia-induced apolipoprotein E knockout mice

Abstract

This study is to examine whether perilla oil rich in α-linolenic acid, n-3 fatty acid, would affect the expression of transcription factors involved in the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism and in the inflammatory responses. Apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE KO) mice (n=18) and its wild type mice (n=10) were fed a high cholesterol diet containing perilla oil or lard for 10 weeks. In apoE KO mice, perilla oil group demonstrated significant decrease in hepatic triglyceride (7.95%) and total cholesterol concentrations (35.76%) than lard fed group. Expression for nuclear transcription factor, sterol regulatory elementbinding protein (SREBP)-1 (32.37%) and SREBP-2 (25.6%) were dropped off whereas that for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α elevated (48.15%, p<0.05), compared with lard group. Inhibition in nuclear factor-κB and increase in inhibitor κ-Bα expressions subsequently decreased cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expressions in the perilla oil group. Beneficial effects of perlla oil observed in apoE KO mice were greater than those from the wild type mice.