Role of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway in regulation of fatty acid oxidation in a preeclampsia-like mouse model treated with pravastatin

BACKGROUND: Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) disorder is involved in the pathogenesis of some cases of preeclampsia (PE). Several studies show that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is related to FAO. Pravastatin (Pra) can promote FAO in Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) PE-like mouse model in our previous study. This study aimed to investigate the effect of mTOR signaling pathway in PE-like model treated with Pra. METHODS: Pregnant mice were randomly injected with L-NAME as PE-like model group or saline as control group respectively, from gestational 7th to 18th day. Giving Pra (L-NAME + Pra, Control + Pra, n = 8) or normal saline (NS; L-NAME + NS, Control + NS, n = 8) from gestational 8th to 18th day, the mice were sacrificed on day 18 and their liver and placental tissues were collected. Then the activation of mTOR and its substrates in the liver and placenta were detected. And the association between mTOR activation and serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels and the expression of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (LCHAD) were evaluated using Pearson correlation test. Differences between groups were analyzed using independent t-test or one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Both in the maternal liver and placenta, the activation of mTOR protein and its effect on substrates increased significantly in the L-NAME + NS group and decreased significantly in the L-NAME + Pra group. The p-mTOR/mTOR protein ratio decreased in the L-NAME + Pra group significantly than that in the L-NAME + NS group both in liver and placenta (liver: 0.74 ± 0.08 vs. 0.85 ± 0.06, t = 2.95, P < 0.05; placenta: 0.63 ± 0.06 vs. 0.77 ± 0.06, t = 4.64, P < 0.05). The activation of mTOR protein in the liver and placenta negatively correlated with the expression of LCHAD in the L-NAME + NS group (liver: r = −0.745, P < 0.05; placenta: r = −0.833, P < 0.05) and that in the maternal liver negatively correlated with the expression of LCHAD (r = −0.733, P < 0.05) and positively with the serum FFA levels (r = 0.841, P < 0.05) in the L-NAME + Pra group. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of mTOR signaling pathway might be involved in the regulation of FAO in mouse model treated with Pra.