Abstract
Fatty liver is closely associated with elevated concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and a low level of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) in blood of dairy cows. High NEFA inhibit the VLDL synthesis and assembly, and cause hepatic triacylglycerol (TAG) deposition. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), a mitochondrial deacetylase, antagonizes NEFA-induced TAG accumulation through modulating expressions of fatty acid synthesis and oxidation genes in cow hepatocytes. However, the role of SIRT3 in the VLDL synthesis and assembly was largely unknown. Here we aimed to test whether SIRT3 would recover the synthesis and assembly of VLDL in cow hepatocytes induced by high NEFA. Primary cow hepatocytes were isolated from 3 Holstein cows. Hepatocytes were infected with SIRT3 overexpression adenovirus (Ad-SIRT3), SIRT3-short interfering (si) RNA, or first infected with Ad-SIRT3 and then incubated with 1.0 mM NEFA (Ad-SIRT3 + NEFA). Expressions of key genes in VLDL synthesis and the VLDL contents in cell culture supernatants were measured. SIRT3 overexpression significantly increased the mRNA abundance of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100) and ApoE (p < 0.01), and raised VLDL contents in the supernatants (p < 0.01). However, SIRT3 silencing displayed a reverse effect in comparison to SIRT3 overexpression. Compared with NEFA treatment alone, the Ad-SIRT3 + NEFA significantly upregulated the mRNA abundance of MTP, ApoB100 and ApoE (p < 0.01), and increased VLDL contents in the supernatants (p < 0.01). Our data demonstrated that SIRT3 restored the synthesis and assembly of VLDL in cow hepatocytes challenged with NEFA, providing an in vitro basis for further investigations testing its feasibility against hepatic TAG accumulation in dairy cows during the perinatal period.