[Effects of medium-chain fatty acids on high-density-lipoprotein in rats fed with high fat diet]

To explore the effects of medium-chain fatty acid( MCFA) on high-density-lipoprotein( HDL) in serum, liver and small intestine in Sprague Dawley rats fed with high fat diet.

Thirty obese rats were divided into 3 groups randomly, and were fed high fat diet mixed with 2% octanoic acid, 2% decanoic acid, 2% oleic acid respectively for 8 weeks. The levels of blood HDL, apolipoprotein A1( ApoA1), apolipoprotein A2( ApoA2), triglyceride( TG), total cholesterol( TC), high-densitylipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-c) in serum were measured at the fourth and eighth week. The levels of HDL, ApoA1, and ApoA2 in liver and small intestine were measured by ELISA. Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of ApoA1 and ApoA2 in liver and small intestine from rats at the eighth week.

At the eighth week, significant decreases in levels of serum TG and TC were observed in octanoic acid and decanoic acid groups as compared with oleic acid group( P < 0. 05). Greater increases in levels of serum HDL and HDL-c/LDL-c were observed in octanoic acid group than in oleic acid group( P < 0. 05). Greater increases in protein expression of HDL and ApoA1 and in mRNA expression of ApoA1 in small intestine were observed in octanoic acid group than in oleic acid group( P < 0. 05).

MCFA can elevate the levels of HDL, HDL-c/LDL-c in serum, and increase the expressions of HDL and ApoA1 in small intestine.