Liver-specific overexpression of LPCAT3 reduces postprandial hyperglycemia and improves lipoprotein metabolic profile in mice

Previous studies have shown that group 1B phospholipase A(2)-mediated absorption of lysophospholipids inhibits hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation and contributes directly to postprandial hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, leading to increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. The current study tested the possibility that increased expression of lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase-3 (LPCAT3), an enzyme that converts lysophosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylcholine in the liver, may alleviate the adverse effects of lysophospholipids absorbed after a lipid-glucose mixed meal. The injection of an adenovirus vector harboring the human LPCAT3 gene into C57BL/6 mice increased hepatic LPCAT3 expression fivefold compared with mice injected with a control LacZ adenovirus. Postprandial glucose tolerance tests after feeding these animals with a bolus lipid-glucose mixed meal revealed that LPCAT3 overexpression improved postprandial hyperglycemia and glucose tolerance compared with control mice with LacZ adenovirus injection. Mice with LPCAT3 overexpression also showed reduced very low density lipoprotein production and displayed elevated levels of the metabolic- and cardiovascular-protective large apoE-rich high density lipoproteins in plasma. The mechanism underlying the metabolic benefits of LPCAT3 overexpression was shown to be due to the alleviation of lysophospholipid inhibition of fatty acid β-oxidation in hepatocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that specific LPCAT3 induction in the liver may be a viable strategy for cardiometabolic disease intervention.