Scope: Substituting plant protein for animal protein has emerged as a promising strategy for managing atherogenic lipids. However, the impact of long-term intake of a high plant protein diet (HPD) on hepatic lipid disorder remains unclear.
Methods and results: Eight-week-old apolipoprotein E deficient (apoE-/- ) mice are fed with either a normal protein diet (NCD) or HPD for 12 weeks. HPD intervention results in decreased body weight accompanied by increased energy expenditure, with no significant effect on glycemic control. Long-term intake of HPD improves the serum and hepatic lipid and cholesterol accumulation by suppressing hepatic squalene epoxidase (SQLE) expression, a key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. Integrated analysis of 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics profiling reveals that HPD intervention increases the abundance of the Lachnospiraece family and serum levels of 12,13-DiHOME. Furthermore, in vivo studies demonstrate that 12,13-DiHOME significantly inhibits lipid accumulation, as well as SQLE expression induced by oleic acid in HepG2 cells.
Conclusion: Diet rich in plant protein diet alleviates hyperlipidemia via increased microbial production of 12,13-DiHOME.
Keywords: 12,13-DiHOME; gut microbiota; high plant protein diet; lipid accumulation.
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