Postprandial changes in gene expression of hepatic cholesterol metabolism in response to two protein sources in the rat

Amine Allaoui; Faiza Dehiba; Luis Vicente Herrera-Marcos; Maria-Jesus Rodríguez-Yoldi; Jesus Osada; Ahmed Boualga

Amine Allaoui Laboratory of Clinical and Metabolic Nutrition, Department of Biology, Faculty of the Nature and Life Sciences, University of Oran1, Oran, Algeria https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4535-2224
Faiza Dehiba Laboratory of Clinical and Metabolic Nutrition, Department of Biology, Faculty of the Nature and Life Sciences, University of Oran1, Oran, Algeria
Luis Vicente Herrera-Marcos Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, CIBERobn (ISCIII), IIS Aragón, IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
Maria-Jesus Rodríguez-Yoldi Departament of Pharmacology and Physiology, Legal and Forensic Medicine, Physiology Unit, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, CIBERobn (ISCIII), IIS Aragón, IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
Jesus Osada Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, CIBERobn (ISCIII), IIS Aragón, IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
Ahmed Boualga Laboratory of Clinical and Metabolic Nutrition, Department of Biology, Faculty of the Nature and Life Sciences, University of Oran1, Oran, Algeria

Keywords: hypocholesterolemia, chickpea, sardine, protein hydrolysate, rats, postprandial

Abstract

A hypocholesterolemic effect of chickpea (CPH) and sardine protein hydrolysates (SPH) has been observed. Two main mechanisms could be involved in explaining this fact: the inhibition of cholesterol enterohepatic cycle and a post-absorptive regulatory pathway. We aimed to check whether these hypotheses were involved in the present study. Three groups of rats were given a single dose of a cholesterol-oil solution (HC), supplemented or not with CPH or SPH. The postprandial transcription levels of some genes involved in cholesterol metabolism were assessed in their livers. Four hours after feeding, the results showed that Mttp, Pltp, Cidec, Abca1, and Abcg1 gene expressions were similar among the different groups. Lcat mRNA was 5.5-fold higher in CPH and SPH rats’ liver vs. HC, but this difference was not statistically significant. SPH tends to upregulate Ldlr expression, while CPH tends to upregulate Cyp7a1 transcription (2- and 8-fold, respectively, compared to HC rats, p=0.083 according to the Mann-Whitney test). Pon1 and Apoa1 were not affected by the hydrolysate supplementation vs. HC group. In conclusion, these results suggest that chickpeas and sardine protein hydrolysates exert hypocholesterolemic activity mainly by enterohepatic inhibiting the cholesterol cycle rather than modulating the postprandial gene expressions involved in cholesterol metabolism.