Nutritional B vitamin deficiency disrupts lipid metabolism causing accumulation of proatherogenic lipoproteins in the aorta adventitia of ApoE null mice

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research 2012-07, Vol.56 (7), p.1122-1130
• Main Authors: McNeil, Christopher J., Beattie, John H., Gordon, Margaret-Jane, Pirie, Lynn P., Duthie, Susan J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aorta - metabolism; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Apolipoproteins E - metabolism; Atherosclerosis - blood; Atherosclerosis - etiology; Atherosclerosis - metabolism; Atherosclerosis - physiopathology; B vitamin deficiency in ApoE null mice; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol - metabolism; Connective Tissue - metabolism; Diet, Atherogenic - adverse effects; Disease Models, Animal; Fatty Acids - blood; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hyperhomocysteinemia; Hyperhomocysteinemia - etiology; Lipid Metabolism; Lipoproteins - blood; Lipoproteins - metabolism; Liver - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Knockout; S-Adenosylhomocysteine - metabolism; S-Adenosylmethionine - metabolism; Severity of Illness Index; Vascular lipid deposition; Vitamin B Deficiency - blood; Vitamin B Deficiency - metabolism; Vitamin B Deficiency - physiopathology
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201100694

ScopeCardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in the world. Low dietary folate, elevated homocysteine, and high circulating cholesterol are risk factors. Methods and resultsWe investigated whether folate and/or B vitamin deficiency would change lipoprotein and fatty acid metabolism and lipid accumulation in the aorta adventitia of ApoE null mice. Mice (n = 10 per group) were fed a control (C; 4%) or high saturated fat (HF; 21%), and high cholesterol (0.15%) diet for 16 weeks. Folate (F‐) or folate, B6 and B12 deficiency (F‐B‐) were imposed on these diets. Feeding a HF diet increased plasma and liver total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol (two‐ to threefold; p < 0.05). Total cholesterol increased (twofold; p < 0.05) in aorta adventitial lipid in response to HF. Feeding a diet depleted of folate and B vitamins (F‐B‐) significantly increased cholesterol accumulation in both liver and aorta adventitial lipid (approximately 50–70%; p < 0.05). Moreover, the proportions of fatty acids in hepatic and adventitial lipid was significantly changed by B vitamin depletion, measured as an increase in saturated fatty acids (approximately 15%) and a decrease (approximately 11%) in monounsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.05). ConclusionB vitamin deficiency perturbs lipid metabolism in ApoE null mice, causing accumulation of proatherogenic cholesterol and fatty acids in the aorta adventitia.