Eicosapentaenoic acid-containing phosphatidylcholine alleviated lipid accumulation in orotic acid-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver

• The alleviating effect of EPA-PC on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was tested.
• EPA-PC regulated key enzyme activities in fatty acid synthesis, transport and β-oxidation.
• The mechanism involved regulating transcriptions of AMPK and its target genes.
• Our study predicted EPA-PC as a novel agent for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The lipid-lowering effects of eicosapentaenoic acid-containing phosphatidylcholine (EPA-PC) from sea cucumber in rat models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were investigated. Oral administration of EPA-PC to orotic acid (OA)-fed mice lowered the liver-to-body weight ratio, serum and hepatic triacylglycerol (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC)/TC ratio. EPA-PC also increased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in serum and hepatic lipids. To elucidate the possible mechanism of action underlying the lipid-lowering effects of EPA-PC, the key enzymes and transcriptional factors involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, transport, and β-oxidation were investigated. The mRNA expressions of SREBP-1c, PPARα, and AMPK, as well as of their target genes, were detected. The results showed that EPA-PC could significantly ameliorate lipid accumulation by suppressing lipid biosynthesis and promoting fatty acid transport and β-oxidation. Overall, our findings revealed that EPA-PC could alleviate NAFLD.