[Correlation of gene expression with hepatic fat content in rats with intrauterine growth retardation].

Objectives: To study the correlation of the expression of in visceral adipose tissue and in liver tissue with hepatic fat content in rats with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).

Methods: Pregnant rats were given a low-protein (10% protein) diet during pregnancy to establish a model of IUGR in neonatal rats. The pregnant rats in the control group were given a normal-protein (21% protein) diet during pregnancy. The neonatal rats were weighed and liver tissue was collected on day 1 and at weeks 3, 8, and 12 after birth, and visceral adipose tissue was collected at weeks 3, 8, and 12 after birth. The 3.0T H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure hepatic fat content at weeks 3, 8, and 12 after birth. Real-time PCR was used to measure mRNA expression levels of in liver tissue and in visceral adipose tissue. Western blot was used to measure protein levels of in liver tissue and in visceral adipose tissue. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed to investigate the correlation of mRNA and protein expression of Lipin with hepatic fat content.

Results: The IUGR group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of Lipin1 in visceral adipose tissue than the control group at weeks 3, 8, and 12 after birth (<0.05). Compared with the control group, the IUGR group had significantly lower mRNA and protein expression levels of Lipin2 in liver tissue on day 1 after birth and significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of Lipin2 at weeks 1, 3, 8, and 12 after birth (<0.05). At week 3 after birth, there was no significant difference in hepatic fat content between the IUGR and control groups (>0.05), while at weeks 8 and 12 after birth, the IUGR group had a significantly higher hepatic fat content than the control group (<0.05). The protein and mRNA expression levels of Lipin1 were positively correlated with hepatic fat content (=0.628 and 0.521 respectively; <0.05), and the protein and mRNA expression levels of Lipin2 were also positively correlated with hepatic fat content (=0.601 and 0.524 respectively; <0.05).

Conclusions: Upregulation of the mRNA and protein expression levels of Lipin1 in visceral adipose tissue and Lipin2 in liver tissue can increase hepatic fat content in rats with IUGR and may be associated with obesity in adulthood.