Apolipoprotein D Transgenic Mice Develop Hepatic Steatosis through Activation of PPAR? and Fatty Acid Uptake

Labrie, Marilyne; Lalonde, Simon; Najyb, Ouafa; Thiery, Maxime; Daneault, Caroline; Des Rosiers, Chrisitne; Rassart, Eric; Mounier, Catherine

The goal of this study was to characterize the molecular mechanisms leading to TG accumulation in the liver of adult H-apoD Tg mice. In mice, apoD is mainly expressed in the CNS while in human, it is expressed in several organs although at different levels [1, 12] . As expected, analysis of the expression pattern of human apoD mRNA in Tg mice clearly showed a higher expression in the CNS but expression in the liver and in the plasma was also observed [15] . Similar observations were made at protein levels. The hepatic steatosis can therefore be the result of increased apoD concentration in the liver or from the uptake of circulating apoD. Indeed, as previously suggested by the study of Suresh and collaborators using a mice model of the Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease, apoD is a circulating protein [54] . Further experiments are needed in order to clearly determine the origin of the hepatic H-apoD protein in our Tg mice.