Amino acid starvation-induced autophagy is involved in reduced subcutaneous fat deposition in weaning piglets derived from sows fed low-protein diet during gestation and lactation: Autophagy is involved in reduced fat deposition in maternal low-protein piglets
Abstract
Purpose The study aimed to determine the effects of maternal low-protein (LP) diet on subcutaneous fat deposition of weaning piglets and the potential mechanism. Methods Sows were fed either a standard protein (SP, 15 and 18% crude protein) or a LP diet (50% protein levels of SP) throughout pregnancy and lactation. Subcutaneous fat and blood were sampled from male piglets at 28 days of age. Serum biochemical metabolites and hormone concentrations were detected with the enzymatic colorimetric methods. Serum-free amino acid (FAA) levels were measured by amino acid auto-analyzer. The mRNA and protein were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Results Body weight, back fat thickness, triglycerides concentrations in subcutaneous fat tissue, and serum, as well as FFA concentrations were significantly reduced in LP piglets when compared with SP piglets. Further studies showed that mRNA and protein expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase, two key enzymes of de novo lipogenesis, were significantly reduced in LP piglets, while mRNA expression and the lipolytic enzymes activities of lipolysis genes, adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase, were significantly increased. Furthermore, expression of autophagy-related gene 7 and autophagy maker gene microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC 3) as well as the conversion of LC3I to LC3II were significantly elevated, along with the expression of activating transcription factor-4 and eukaryotic translation initiation factor-2a. Conclusion These results indicate that amino acid starvation-induced autophagy is involved in reduced subcutaneous fat deposition in maternal LP weaning piglets, demonstrating links between maternal protein restriction and offspring fat deposition.
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Overall, the available data suggest that maternal low protein diets have a complex effect on adipose tissue biology, with studies finding divergent molecular changes.
“Overall, the available data suggest that maternal low protein diets have a complex effect on adipose tissue biology, with studies finding divergent molecular changes [71, 72].”
From Developmental programming of offspring adipose tissue biology and obesity risk (2021) · cites this paper as [71]
Across the species surveyed, changes in offspring adiposity are accompanied by alterations in adipocyte size or number, insulin signaling and metabolic protein levels, including PPARγ, as well as inflammatory markers and leukocytes in the adipose tissue of the offspring born from low protein diet-fed mothers.
“Across the species surveyed, changes in offspring adiposity are accompanied by alterations in adipocyte size or number, insulin signaling and metabolic protein levels, including PPARγ, as well as inflammatory markers and leukocytes in the adipose tissue of the offspring born from low protein diet-fed mothers [71, 72, 78, 82].”
From Developmental programming of offspring adipose tissue biology and obesity risk (2021) · cites this paper as [71]
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Developmental programming of offspring adipose tissue biology and obesity risk
Rodgers, A., & Sferruzzi-Perri, A. N. (2021) · International Journal of Obesity · doi:10.1038/s41366-021-00790-w · Cited by 57 · see citing works
- Authors
- Pan, S., Jia, Y., Yang, X., Cai, D., Liu, Z., Song, H., & Zhao, R.
- Affiliations
- Nanjing Agricultural University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Zhao, Ruqian
- Venue
- European Journal of Nutrition
- Published
- 2017-02-23
- Volume
- 57
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 991-1001
- ISSN
- 1436-6207 (ISSN-L)
- 1436-6215
- OpenAlex
- W2589362102
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Government of Jiangsu Province
- Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201003011)
- National Key Research and Development Program of China (2012CB124703)
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (KYZ200913)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Nutrition and Physiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
- Keywords
- maternal low-protein diet, amino acid starvation, autophagy, subcutaneous fat deposition, weaning piglets, de novo lipogenesis, lipolysis, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, adipose triglyceride lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, LC3, ATF4, eIF2A, maternal protein restriction
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Autophagy, China, Crosses, Genetic, Female, Lactation, Male, Pregnancy, Protein Deficiency, Random Allocation, Thinness, Weaning, Biomarkers, Weight Gain, Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Sus scrofa, Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Fetal Development, Subcutaneous Fat, Adiposity, Lipid Metabolism
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