Inclusion of a legume in a saturated fat-rich diet affects the cholesterol status but not the expression of triiodothyronine and retinoic acid receptors in rat liver

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 297 - 303
• Main Authors: Bonilla, S, Noel-Suberville, C, Higueret, P, Portillo, M.P, Macarulla, M.T, Martinez, A, Garcin, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 1998
• Subjects: amino acid sequences; animal models; Animals; binding; blood lipids; blood serum; body weight; capacity; cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, Dietary - administration & dosage; diet; dietary fat; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Energy Intake; experimental diets; Fabaceae; Fatty Acids - administration & dosage; Gene Expression; hypercholesterolemia; liver; Liver - anatomy & histology; Liver - metabolism; Male; messenger RNA; nutrient intake; Organ Size; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Rats, Wistar; receptors; Receptors, Retinoic Acid - genetics; Receptors, Thyroid Hormone - genetics; retinoic acid; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; saturated fatty acids; triiodothyronine; Vicia faba; weight
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000012747

In a previous study, we showed that a high-fat diet, rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, induced hypercholesterolemia and, in rat liver, a decreased expression of TR and RAR, nuclear receptors which are transcription factors for genes involved in cell growth, differentiation and cellular homeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine whether hypereholesterolemia plays a role in the onset of this decreased expression. Rats were fed a high-fat diet, rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, for 3 weeks and then received in addition Vicia faba for 2 weeks. The inclusion of the legume induced a decrease in hypercholesterolemia (in agreement with numerous data) but did not affect the underexpression of TR or RAR (expression evaluated as the maximum binding capacity of receptors and as the abundance of mRNA of these receptors). Thus, it is suggested that, at least in this experimental model, hypercholesterolemia plays a minor role in the decreased expression of nuclear receptors in rat liver.