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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #382858
Research Project: Molecular Approaches to Control Intestinal Parasites that Affect the Microbiome in Swine and Small Ruminants

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory

Title: Transcriptome analysis unravels that triacylglycerol bound docosahexaenoic acid regulates appetite via the mediation of leptin and intestinal epithelial function in animal models

Author
item CAO, W - Ocean University Of China
item LIU, F - Ocean University Of China
item Li, Robert
item WANG, Y - Ocean University Of China

Submitted to: Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/2021
Publication Date: 9/10/2022
Citation: Cao, W., Liu, F., Li, R.W., Wang, Y. 2022. Transcriptome analysis unravels that triacylglycerol bound docosahexaenoic acid regulates appetite via the mediation of leptin and intestinal epithelial function in animal models. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108856.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108856

Interpretive Summary: One of the most common manifestations of parasitism in livestock species is inappetence and subsequent reduction in live weight gain, which significantly diminishes farmers’ profitability. Developing dietary strategies to stimulate appetite is hypothesized to enhance host resilience to parasitic infections. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism via which a triacylglycerol (TG) bound polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (TG-DHA), regulated hyperplasia using two different rodent models. Our data show that TG-DHA controls the expression of cholecystokinin, a peptide hormone of the gastrointestinal track responsible for stimulating fat and protein digestion, in both diet-induced and mutant obese models. Our findings are conducive to the development of PUFAs as dietary supplements to enhance both host resistance and resilience to parasites.

Technical Abstract: Hyperphagia and inappetence are associated numerous pathophysiological conditions and metabolic disorders, such as obesity and parasitism. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of dietary interventions in regulating appetite. This study aims to investigate whether triacylglycerol bound docosahexaenoic acid (TG-DHA), an omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, can regulate appetite in mice fed with a high fat diet (HFD). Our data show TG-DHA reduced food intake and regulated the expression of neuropeptides. Hypothalamic transcriptome analysis unraveled that these effects may be attributed to the role of TG-DHA in modulating hormone secretion and digestive processes. The results using ELISA and RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that TG-DHA ameliorated leptin secretion and attenuated leptin resistance induced by HFD feeding. Further, TG-DHA prevented the damage of intestinal epithelial barrier in obese mice by improving leptin sensitivity. TG-DHA also protected intestinal endocrine function, especially the secretion of an anorectic hormone, cholecystokinin (CCK), in HFD-fed mice. However, it was ineffective in repressing appetite and improving gut leakage in leptin-deficient obese mice. In conclusion, TG-DHA was able to regulate appetite via the action of leptin and intestinal epithelial function and can be developed as a dietary supplement to enhance host resilience to parasitic infections.