Farnesol attenuates oxidative stress and liver injury and modulates fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in high cholesterol-fed rats

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-08, Vol.27 (24), p.30118-30132
• Main Authors: Abukhalil, Mohammad H., Hussein, Omnia E., Bin-Jumah, May, Saghir, Sultan A. M., Germoush, Mousa O., Elgebaly, Hassan A., Mosa, Nermeen M., Hamad, Ismail, Qarmush, Moath M., Hassanein, Emad M., Kamel, Emadeldin M., Hernandez-Bautista, Rene, Mahmoud, Ayman M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetyl-CoA carboxylase; Antioxidants; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cardiovascular diseases; Cholesterol; Cytokines; Deregulation; Dyslipidemia; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Farnesol; Fatty acids; Fatty-acid synthase; Health risks; High cholesterol diet; Hyperlipidemia; Inflammation; Injury prevention; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Lipoproteins (very low density); Liver; Liver diseases; Low density lipoprotein; Metabolic disorders; Molecular docking; mRNA; Oxidants; Oxidative stress; Oxidizing agents; Peroxidation; Research Article; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Rodents; Transaminases; Triglycerides; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09296-w

Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, steatohepatitis, and progression of liver disorders. This study investigated the protective effect of farnesol (FAR), a sesquiterpene alcohol, against liver injury in high cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rats, and its modulatory effect on fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). HCD was supplemented for 10 weeks, and the rats were concurrently treated with FAR. Rats that received HCD exhibited significant elevation of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols, LDL and vLDL cholesterol, CRP, and pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased values of the cardiovascular risk indices. Serum transaminases, ALP, LDH and CK-MB, and hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO), cholesterol, and triacylglycerols were increased in HCD-fed rats. Treatment with FAR greatly ameliorated dyslipidemia and liver function, reduced inflammatory mediators, LPO, and hepatic lipid infiltration and enhanced anti-oxidant defenses. FAR suppressed hepatic FAS, ACC, and SREPB-1c mRNA abundance and FAS activity in HDC-fed rats. In addition, molecular docking simulations pinpointed the binding modes of FAR to the active pocket residues of FAS and ACC. In conclusion, FAR possesses a strong anti-hyperlipidemic/anti-hypercholesterolemic activity mediated through its ability to modulate hepatic FAS, ACC, and SREPB-1c. FAR prevented oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver injury induced by HCD. Thus, FAR may represent a promising lipid-lowering agent that can protect against dyslipidemia and its linked metabolic deregulations.