To explore the role of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in fatty acid metabolism in the liver of obese rats induced by high fat diet.

Twenty-seven SD rats were divided into control group, high-fat diet group (HF group), and high-fat diet combined with DHEA treatment group (DHEA group). The serum glucose and insulin levels were determined, while the free fatty acids (FFA) level was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The mRNA expressions of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), carnitine acyl-CoA transferase (CPT), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) were measured by real-time PCR. Finally, oil red O staining was also used to observe the changes in hepatic lipid deposition.

(1) The content of hepatic FFA in HF group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05), but decreased in DHEA group compared with that in HF group (P<0.05). (2) Compared with HF group, the mRNA expressions of HSL, LPL, ACC, FAS in DHEA group were significantly lower while the mRNA expressions of CPT1, CPT2, and SCD1 were significantly higher (all P<0.05). (3) Oil-red O staining showed that the liver lipid content in high fat diet-fed rats were significantly increased compared with that in the chow diet group(P<0.05), but there was no difference between HF and DHEA groups. However, the structural damage of HF group was more evident compared with DHEA group.

DHEA may reduce the content of hepatic FFA in high-fat diet-induced obese rats via inhibiting the production of FFA and promoting the β-oxidation of FFA. (Chin J Endocrinol Metab, 2018, 34: 856-861)

Dehydroepiandrosterone; Free fatty acids; Obesity; Non-alcohol fatty liver disease