Aortic Injury Induced by Benzo(a)pyrene and Atherogenic Diet Increased Hepatic FGF21 Expression in C57BL/6J Mice.
Iran J Pharm Res
; 23(1): e142903, 2024.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39108652
ABSTRACT
Background:
Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), an environmental toxicant and endocrine disruptor, has been shown to exacerbate atherosclerosis when combined with a high-fat diet. Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 (FGF21), a novel hormone with anti-atherosclerotic properties, is associated with the presence of atherosclerosis and reduces plaque formation in experimental animals.Objectives:
The present study aimed to investigate the chronic effect of BaP injection on hepatic FGF21 expression, as an anti-atherosclerotic hormone, in mice fed with or without an atherogenic diet (AtD).Methods:
Eighteen C57BL/6J male mice (6 weeks) were randomly divided into six groups based on the dosage and diet. Blood samples were collected, and serum cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, LDL-C, and glucose levels were measured. FGF21 expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. Atherosclerotic lesions in mice were studied with Oil Red O (ORO) staining.Results:
Benzo(a)pyrene causes a significant increase in liver FGF21 expression in a dose-dependent manner, and BaP co-exposure with AtD leads to a further increase in FGF21 expression. Additionally, the addition of BaP to AtD significantly increased the serum glucose, cholesterol, and LDL-C levels and accelerated the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Besides, our findings showed that there is a significant positive correlation between FGF21 expression and glucose, cholesterol, LDL-C, and ORO-positive areas.Conclusions:
Our findings revealed that BaP increases the expression of endogenous FGF21 in treated animals as a compensatory response to protect the heart from atherosclerosis induced by BaP and AtD.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Iran J Pharm Res
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Iran
Country of publication:
Netherlands