Targeted Knockdown of Hepatic △-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase FADS1 Aggravates Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice

Background: The endogenous metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids is regulated by the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster and is strongly associated with diseases such as atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes. However, the association between FADS and atherosclerosis remains a subject of debate. Methods: In this study, we specifically investigated the physiological role of triangle-5 fatty acid desaturase (FADS1) in aortic and peripheral vessel (namely, the femoral artery) atherosclerosis by targeting the selective of hepatic Fads1 in ApoE-/- mice exacerbated aortic atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), resulting in weight loss. Upregulation of FADS1 mRNA expression in more severe atherosclerosis vascular tissues potentially caused the upregulation of angiopoietin-like 4 expression. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that knockdown of hepatic Fads1 in ApoE-/- mice aggravates spontaneous atherosclerosis and NAFLD but does not affect peripheral atherosclerosis (femoral artery) induced by vascular cuff combined with tandem stenosis.