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Published on: June 28, 2024
Maternal and Embryonic Vitamin D3 Supplementation Improves Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Progeny Chicks
Bowen Zhao1, Yawen Sun1, Guangxiao Zhang1
1College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China.
Background:
For oviparous laying hens, transition into the late laying phase tends to be associated with reduced nutrient deposition in eggs. Accordingly, maternal dietary and in ovo supplementation of essential nutrients to eggs from late-phase hens could effectively improve embryonic development and even the subsequent performance of the offspring. To date, it remains unclear whether vitamin D3 (VD3) exerts functions beyond calcium and phosphorus homeostasis to mediate the link between maternal nutrition and offspring metabolic regulation.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal and embryonic VD3 supplementation on hepatic lipid metabolism in progeny chicks, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Methods:
Eggs collected from hens at the peak-laying phase and late-laying stage were incubated to compare differences in hepatic lipid metabolism of their progeny. VD3 was administered via either in ovo injection or maternal dietary supplementation to determine its regulatory effects on the hepatic lipid metabolism of the offspring. Primary chicken hepatocytes were treated with 1,25(OH)2D3, with or without the presence of VDR-shRNA lentivirus or a PPARα antagonist.
Results:
Progeny derived from late-laying hens exhibited significantly higher hepatic lipid deposition than those from peak-laying hens, accompanied by coordinated downregulation of VDR expression and the transcriptional programs governing fatty acid β-oxidation and lipid transport. Both in ovo injection and maternal dietary supplementation of VD3 effectively alleviated these adverse alterations in the progeny of late-laying hens. In vitro experiments further demonstrated that 1,25(OH)2D3 upregulated the transcription of PPARα and HNF4α in a VDR-dependent manner, which subsequently enhanced the expression of genes related to fatty acid oxidation and lipid transport, respectively.
Conclusions:
VD3 supplementation, either at the maternal or embryonic level, improves hepatic lipid metabolism in progeny chicks by enhancing fatty acid oxidation and lipid transport, primarily through activation of the VDR-PPARα/HNF4α signaling pathway.
