Induction of the Lipid Droplet Formation Genes in Steatohepatitis Mice by Embryo/Postnatal Nutrient Environment Is Associated with Histone Acetylation around the Genes

Recently, we have demonstrated that mice, cultured embryos in α-minimum essential medium (αMEM) and subsequent fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet, developed steatohepatitis. In this study, we investigated using these samples whether the expression of lipid droplet formation genes in the liver is higher in MEM mice, whether these expressions are regulated by histone acetylation, writers/readers of histone acetylation, and the transcriptional factors of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Mice were produced by two-cell embryos in αMEM or standard potassium simplex-optimized medium (control) in vitro for 48 h, and implanted into an oviduct for spontaneous delivery. MEM and control-mice were fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet for 18 wk, and then liver samples were collected and analyzed by histology, qRT-PCR, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Gene expression of Cidea, Cidec, and Plin4 were higher in MEM mice and histone H3K9 acetylation, BRD4, and CBP were higher in MEM mice than in control mice around those genes. However, the binding of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related transcription factors (ATF4, CHOP and C/EBPα) around those genes in the liver, was not clearly differed between MEM mice and control mice. The increased expression of Cidea, Cidec and Plin4 in the liver, accompanied by the development of steatohepatitis in mice induced is positively associated with increased histone H3K9 acetylation and CBP and BRD4 binding around these genes.