PPARα and PPARγ activation attenuates total free fatty acid and triglyceride accumulation in macrophages via the inhibition of Fatp1 expression.

Lipid accumulation in macrophages interacts with microenvironment signals and accelerates diabetic atherosclerosis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which macrophage metabolism interacts with microenvironment signals during lipid accumulation are not clearly understood. Accordingly, an untargeted metabolomics approach was employed to characterize the metabolic reprogramming, and to identify potential regulatory targets related to lipid accumulation in macrophages treated with oleate, an important nutrient. The metabolomics approach revealed that multiple metabolic pathways were significantly disturbed in oleate-treated macrophages. We discovered that amino acids, nucleosides, lactate, monoacylglycerols, total free fatty acids (FFAs), and triglycerides (TGs) accumulated in oleate-treated macrophages, but these effects were effectively attenuated or even abolished by resveratrol. Notably, 1-monooleoylglycerol and 2-monooleoylglycerol showed the largest fold changes in the levels among the differential metabolites. Subsequently, we found that oleate triggered total FFA and TG accumulation in macrophages by accelerating FFA influx through the activation of Fatp1 expression, but this effect was attenuated by resveratrol via the activation of PPARα and PPARγ signaling. We verified that the activation of PPARα and PPARγ by WY14643 and pioglitazone, respectively, attenuated oleate triggered total FFA and TG accumulation in macrophages by repressing FFA import via the suppression of Fatp1 expression. Furthermore, the inhibition of Fatp1 by tumor necrosis factor α alleviated oleate-induced total FFA and TG accumulation in macrophages. This study provided the first demonstration that accumulation of amino acids, nucleosides, lactate, monoacylglycerols, total FFAs, and TGs in oleate-treated macrophages is effectively attenuated or even abolished by resveratrol, and that the activation of PPARα and PPARγ attenuates oleate-induced total FFA and TG accumulation via suppression of Fatp1 expression in macrophages. Therapeutic strategies aim to activate PPAR signaling, and to repress FFA import and triglyceride synthesis are promising approaches to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Heterologous transporter expression for improved fatty alcohol secretion in yeast.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an attractive host for industrial scale production of biofuels including fatty alcohols due to its robustness and tolerance towards harsh fermentation conditions. Many metabolic engineering strategies have been applied to generate high fatty alcohol production strains. However, impaired growth caused by fatty alcohol accumulation and high cost of extraction are factors limiting large-scale production. Here, we demonstrate that the use of heterologous transporters is a promising strategy to increase fatty alcohol production. Among several plant and mammalian transporters tested, human FATP1 was shown to mediate fatty alcohol export in a high fatty alcohol production yeast strain. An approximately five-fold increase of fatty alcohol secretion was achieved. The results indicate that the overall cell fitness benefited from fatty alcohol secretion and that the acyl-CoA synthase activity of FATP1 contributed to increased cell growth as well. This is the first study that enabled an increased cell fitness for fatty alcohol production by heterologous transporter expression in yeast, and this investigation indicates a new potential function of FATP1, which has been known as a free fatty acid importer to date. We furthermore successfully identified the functional domain of FATP1 involved in fatty alcohol export through domain exchange between FATP1 and another transporter, FATP4. This study may facilitate a successful commercialization of fatty alcohol production in yeast and inspire the design of novel cell factories.

Process development for production and purification of the Schistosoma mansoni Sm14 antigen.

The trematode Schistosoma mansoni Sm14 antigen was expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris and secreted into the culture medium at yields of approximately 250 mg L-1. Sm14 belongs to a family of fatty-acid binding proteins and appears to play an important role in uptake, transport, and compartmentalization of lipids in S. mansoni and it is a potential vaccine candidate in both humans and domesticated animals. The Sm14 gene was codon-optimized for expression in P. pastoris, and placed under transcription of the strong methanol inducible AOX1 promoter. Mut+ transformants were selected and used in fed-batch cultivation using a 2.5L fermenter equipped with an on-line methanol control system in order to maintain constant methanol levels during induction. Optimal conditions for the expression of Sm14 by P. pastoris were found to be: dissolved oxygen at 40%, temperature of 25 °C, pH 5.0, and a constant methanol concentration of 1 gL-1. Our results show that a correctly processed Sm14 was secreted into the culture medium at levels of approximately 250  mg L-1. Sm14 from clarified culture medium was purified using a two-step procedure: anion-exchange chromatography followed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography, resulting in >95% purity with a final yield of 40% from the starting cell culture medium. This product has been tested in preliminary clinical trials and shown to elicit an antibody response with no adverse reactions.

Hepatic Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Signaling Contributes to Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Inflammation in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) signaling has been shown to regulate lipogenesis and lipid accumulation. Previous studies have shown that hepatic PPARγ is up-regulated in steatotic liver of both animal and human. However, the effects of hepatic PPARγ signaling on alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remain elusive. METHODS: To determine the role of hepatic PPARγ signaling on ALD, wild-type (WT) and hepatocyte-specific PPARγ knockdown (PPARγ∆Hep) mice were fed a modified Lieber-DeCarli alcohol or isocaloric maltose dextrin control liquid diet for 8 weeks to induce ALD. Blood parameters, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation were measured after 8-week alcohol feeding. RESULTS: Alcohol feeding to WT mice resulted in liver damage (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], 94.68 ± 17.05 U/L; aspartate aminotransferase [AST], 55.87 ± 11.29 U/L), which was significantly alleviated by hepatic PPARγ knockdown (ALT, 57.36 ± 14.98 U/L; AST, 38.06 ± 3.35 U/L). Alcohol feeding led to marked lipid accumulation and up-regulation of lipogenic genes including fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATP1), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FASN), lipin1 (LIPIN1), diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), and diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) in the livers of WT mice. Knockdown of hepatic PPARγ significantly alleviated alcohol-induced lipid accumulation and abolished the up-regulation of FASN, DGAT1, and DGAT2. Silencing of PPARγ in FL83B cells significantly decreased ethanol (EtOH)-, linoleic acid-, and EtOH plus linoleic acid-induced lipid accumulation. Knockdown of hepatic PPARγ also significantly reduced alcohol-induced inflammatory chemokine (monocyte chemotactic protein 1 [MCP1], keratinocyte-derived chemokine [KC], interferon gamma-induced protein 10 [IP-10]) and inflammatory infiltration (lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus G [Ly6G], and F4/80). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that hepatic PPARγ signaling contributes to alcohol-induced liver injury by promoting hepatic steatosis and inflammation.

Neonatal phthalate ester exposure induced placental MTs, FATP1 and HFABP mRNA expression in two districts of southeast China.

Plastic production releases phthalate esters (PAEs), which can alter the expression of metallothioneins (MTs), fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATP1) and heart fatty acid binding protein (HFABP). A total of 187 mother-infant pairs were recruited, 127 from Chenghai (high exposed group) and 60 from Haojiang (low exposed group), to investigate the association between neonatal PAE exposure and mRNA expression of placental MTs, FATP1 and HFABP. Umbilical cord blood and placenta samples were collected for measuring five PAE concentrations and detecting mRNA levels of MTs, FATP1 and HFABP. Butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP) were significantly higher in the high exposed group compared to the low exposed group. FATP1 and HFABP mRNA in the high exposed group were higher than that in the low exposed group while MT-1A was contrary. Both dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and DEHP were correlated with higher MT and MT-2A expression, while diethyl phthalate (DEP) was also positively correlated with MT-1A and FATP1 expression in female infants. DEHP exposure was negatively correlated with birth weight and gestational age in male infants. These results show that neonatal PAE exposure alters the mRNA expression of placental MTs and FATP1, which are related to fetal growth and development.

Investigation of the fatty acid transporter-encoding genes SLC27A3 and SLC27A4 in autism.

The solute carrier 27A (SLC27A) gene family encodes fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) and includes 6 members. During fetal and postnatal periods of development, the growing brain requires a reliable supply of fatty acids. Because autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are now recognized as disorders caused by impaired early brain development, it is possible that functional abnormalities of SLC27A genes may contribute to the pathogenesis of ASD. Here, we confirmed the expression of SLC27A3 and SLC27A4 in human neural stem cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, which suggested their involvement in the developmental stage of the central nervous system. Additionally, we resequenced the SLC27A3 and SLC27A4 genes using 267 ASD patient and 1140 control samples and detected 47 (44 novel and 29 nonsynonymous) and 30 (17 novel and 14 nonsynonymous) variants for the SLC27A3 and SLC27A4, respectively, revealing that they are highly polymorphic with multiple rare variants. The SLC27A4 Ser209 allele was more frequently represented in ASD samples. Furthermore, we showed that a SLC27A4 Ser209 mutant resulted in significantly higher fluorescently-labeled fatty acid uptake into bEnd3 cells, a mouse brain capillary-derived endothelial cell line, compared with SLC27A4 Gly209, suggesting that the functional change may contribute to ASD pathophysiology.

Gene expression of fatty acid transport and binding proteins in the blood-brain barrier and the cerebral cortex of the rat: differences across development and with different DHA brain status.

Specific mechanisms for maintaining docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentration in brain cells but also transporting DHA from the blood across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are not agreed upon. Our main objective was therefore to evaluate the level of gene expression of fatty acid transport and fatty acid binding proteins in the cerebral cortex and at the BBB level during the perinatal period of active brain DHA accretion, at weaning, and until the adult age. We measured by real time RT-PCR the mRNA expression of different isoforms of fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs), long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs), fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) and the fatty acid transporter (FAT)/CD36 in cerebral cortex and isolated microvessels at embryonic day 18 (E18) and postnatal days 14, 21 and 60 (P14, P21 and P60, respectively) in rats receiving different n-3 PUFA dietary supplies (control, totally deficient or DHA-supplemented). In control rats, all the genes were expressed at the BBB level (P14 to P60), the mRNA levels of FABP5 and ACSL3 having the highest values. Age-dependent differences included a systematic decrease in the mRNA expressions between P14-P21 and P60 (2 to 3-fold), with FABP7 mRNA abundance being the most affected (10-fold). In the cerebral cortex, mRNA levels varied differently since FATP4, ACSL3 and ACSL6 and the three FABPs genes were highly expressed. There were no significant differences in the expression of the 10 genes studied in n-3 deficient or DHA-supplemented rats despite significant differences in their brain DHA content, suggesting that brain DHA uptake from the blood does not necessarily require specific transporters within cerebral endothelial cells and could, under these experimental conditions, be a simple passive diffusion process.

Structure-dependent effects of pyridine derivatives on mechanisms of intestinal fatty acid uptake: regulation of nicotinic acid receptor and fatty acid transporter expression.

Pyridines are widely distributed in foods. Nicotinic acid (NA), a carboxylated pyridine derivative, inhibits lipolysis in adipocytes by activation of the orphan NA receptor (HM74A) and is applied to treat hyperlipidemia. However, knowledge on the impact of pyridine derivatives on intestinal lipid metabolism is scarce. This study was performed to identify the structural determinants of pyridines for their effects on fatty acid uptake in enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells and to elucidate the mechanisms of action. The impact of 17 pyridine derivatives on fatty acid uptake was tested. Multiple regression analysis revealed the presence of a methyl group to be the structural determinant at 0.1 mM, whereas at 1 mM, the presence of a carboxylic group and the N-methylation presented further structural characteristics to affect the fatty acid uptake. NA, showing a stimulating effect on FA uptake, and N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP), inhibiting FA uptake, were selected for mechanistic studies. Gene expression of the fatty acid transporters CD36, FATP2 and FATP4, and the lipid metabolism regulating transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α and PPARγ was up-regulated upon NA treatment. Caco-2 cells were demonstrated to express the low-affinity NA receptor HM74 of which the gene expression was up-regulated upon NA treatment. We hypothesize that the NA-induced fatty acid uptake might result from NA receptor activation and related intracellular signaling cascades. In contrast, MPP increased transepithelial electrical resistance. We therefore conclude that NA and MPP, both sharing the pyridine motif core, exhibit their contrary effects on intestinal FA uptake by activation of different mechanisms.

Adipokines promote lipotoxicity in human skeletal muscle cells.

Studies have shown the implication of specific adipokines or fatty acids (FA) in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. However, the interplay of adipokines with FA remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of adipokines and low concentrations of palmitic acid (PA, 100 µmol/l) on skeletal muscle metabolism. Human skeletal muscle cells were incubated with adipocyte-conditioned medium (CM), PA or PA+CM, and FA transporter and FA metabolism were analysed. CM-incubation increased CD36 level (1.8 fold) and PA-uptake (1.4 fold). However, only co-application of PA+CM resulted in profound lipid accumulation (5.3 fold), 60% reduction of PA-oxidation and 3.5 fold increased diacylglycerol content. Our results support a novel role for adipokines in the pathogenesis of T2D by increasing the lipotoxic potential of PA, notably of low concentrations. This implies an increased lipotoxic risk already at an early stage of weight gain, when lipolysis has not yet contributed to increased plasma free FA levels.

A single bout of exercise increases the expression of glucose but not fatty acid transporters in skeletal muscle of IL-6 KO mice.

IL-6 is a biologically active cytokine released during exercise by contracting skeletal muscles. It appears to be highly involved in the regulation of muscles energy substrate utilization. Whether an ablation of IL-6 (IL-6 KO) in mice subjected to a single bout of exercise affects lipid and/or glucose metabolism is currently unknown. In the present study we examined fatty acid (FAT/CD36, FABPpm, FATP-1, FATP-4) as well as glucose (GLUT-1, GLUT-4) transporters expression in IL-6 KO mice. In addition, intramuscular glycogen and lipid content was also evaluated. The expression of all fatty acid transporters (FAT/CD36: +25 %; FATP-1: +31 %; FABPpm: +12.7 %; FATP-4: +7.2 %) was increased in muscles from IL-6 KO mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. Accordingly intramuscular lipid content was also increased in these muscles (FFA: +38 %; DAG: +36 % and TAG: +160 %). Interestingly, IL-6 deficiency had only minor effect on glucose transporters expression (GLUT-1: -4 %, and GLUT-4: -5.1 %), with no apparent difference in muscular glycogen content. A single bout of exercise increased the glucose transporters (GLUT-1: +8 %; GLUT-4: +15 %) as well as FA transporters (FAT/CD36: +13 %; FABPpm: +4.5 %; FATP: +2.5 %, FATP-4: +10 %) expression but only in WT skeletal muscles. In muscles from IL-6 KO mice exercise induced changes only in glucose (GLUT-1: +20 %; GLUT-4: +35 %) but not in the content of FA transporters. Concomitantly, IL-6 KO mice displayed shorter time toward exhaustion with more pronounced reductions in intramuscular lipid and glycogen content. We may speculate, that IL-6 deficiency provokes more pronounced glucose utilization over lipid oxidation during a single bout of exhausting exercise.

Fatty acid transport protein expression in human brain and potential role in fatty acid transport across human brain microvessel endothelial cells.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), formed by the brain capillary endothelial cells, provides a protective barrier between the systemic blood and the extracellular environment of the CNS. Passage of fatty acids from the blood to the brain may occur either by diffusion or by proteins that facilitate their transport. Currently several protein families have been implicated in fatty acid transport. The focus of the present study was to identify the fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) expressed in the brain microvessel endothelial cells and characterize their involvement in fatty acid transport across an in vitro BBB model. The major fatty acid transport proteins expressed in human brain microvessel endothelial cells (HBMEC), mouse capillaries and human grey matter were FATP-1, -4 and fatty acid binding protein 5 and fatty acid translocase/CD36. The passage of various radiolabeled fatty acids across confluent HBMEC monolayers was examined over a 30-min period in the presence of fatty acid free albumin in a 1 : 1 molar ratio. The apical to basolateral permeability of radiolabeled fatty acids was dependent upon both saturation and chain length of the fatty acid. Knockdown of various fatty acid transport proteins using siRNA significantly decreased radiolabeled fatty acid transport across the HBMEC monolayer. Our findings indicate that FATP-1 and FATP-4 are the predominant fatty acid transport proteins expressed in the BBB based on human and mouse expression studies. While transport studies in HBMEC monolayers support their involvement in fatty acid permeability, fatty acid translocase/CD36 also appears to play a prominent role in transport of fatty acids across HBMEC.

Interleukin-22 treatment ameliorates alcoholic liver injury in a murine model of chronic-binge ethanol feeding: role of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3.

UNLABELLED: Interleukin-22 (IL-22), a recently identified member of the IL-10 family of cytokines that is produced by Th17 and natural killer cells, plays an important role in controlling bacterial infection, homeostasis, and tissue repair. Here, we tested the effect of IL-22 on alcohol-induced liver injury in a murine model of chronic-binge ethanol feeding. Feeding male C57BL/6 mice with a Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% ethanol for 10 days, followed by a single dose of ethanol (5 g/kg body weight) by gavage, induces significant fatty liver and liver injury with peak serum levels of approximately 250 IU/L alanine aminotransferase and 420 IU/L aspartate aminotransferase 9 hours after gavage. Moreover, chronic-binge ethanol administration increases expression of hepatic and serum inflammatory cytokines and hepatic oxidative stress. Using this model, we demonstrate that treatment with IL-22 recombinant protein activates hepatic signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and ameliorates alcoholic fatty liver, liver injury, and hepatic oxidative stress. Administration with IL-22 adenovirus also prevents alcohol-induced steatosis and liver injury. Deletion of STAT3 in hepatocytes abolishes the hepatoprotection provided by IL-22 in alcoholic liver injury. In addition, IL-22 treatment down-regulates the hepatic expression of fatty acid transport protein, but up-regulates several antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and antimicrobial genes. Finally, expression of IL-22 receptor 1 is up-regulated whereas IL-22 is undetectable in the livers from mice with chronic-binge ethanol feeding or patients with alcoholic hepatitis. CONCLUSION: Chronic-binge ethanol feeding may be a useful model to study the early stages of alcoholic liver injury. IL-22 treatment could be a potential therapeutic option to ameliorate alcoholic liver disease, due to its antioxidant, antiapoptotic, antisteatotic, proliferative, and antimicrobial effects with the added benefit of potentially few side effects.

Reduced absorption of saturated fatty acids and resistance to diet-induced obesity and diabetes by ezetimibe-treated and Npc1l1-/- mice.

The impact of NPC1L1 and ezetimibe on cholesterol absorption are well documented. However, their potential consequences relative to absorption and metabolism of other nutrients have been only minimally investigated. Thus studies were undertaken to investigate the possible effects of this protein and drug on fat absorption, weight gain, and glucose metabolism by using Npc1l1(-/-) and ezetimibe-treated mice fed control and high-fat, high-sucrose diets. Results show that lack of NPC1L1 or treatment with ezetimibe reduces weight gain when animals are fed a diabetogenic diet. This resistance to diet-induced obesity results, at least in part, from significantly reduced absorption of dietary saturated fatty acids, particularly stearate and palmitate, since food intake did not differ between groups. Expression analysis showed less fatty acid transport protein 4 (FATP4) in intestinal scrapings of Npc1l1(-/-) and ezetimibe-treated mice, suggesting an important role for FATP4 in intestinal absorption of long-chain fatty acids. Concomitant with resistance to weight gain, lack of NPC1L1 or treatment with ezetimibe also conferred protection against diet-induced hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. These unexpected beneficial results may be clinically important, given the focus on NPC1L1 as a target for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

Keratinocyte-specific expression of fatty acid transport protein 4 rescues the wrinkle-free phenotype in Slc27a4/Fatp4 mutant mice.

FATP4 (fatty acid transport protein 4; also known as SLC27A4) is the most widely expressed member of a family of six long chain fatty acid transporters. FATP4 is highly expressed in enterocytes and has therefore been proposed to be a major importer of dietary fatty acids. Two independent mutations in Fatp4 cause mice to be born with thick, tight, shiny, "wrinkle-free" skin and a defective skin barrier; they die within hours of birth from dehydration and restricted movements. In contrast, induced keratinocyte-specific deficiency of FATP4 in adult mice causes only mild skin abnormalities. Therefore, whether the loss of FATP4 from skin or a systemic gestational metabolic defect causes the severe skin defects and neonatal lethality remain important unanswered questions. To investigate the basis for the phenotype, we first generated wild-type tetraploid/mutant diploid aggregates that should lead to rescue of any abnormalities caused by loss of FATP4 from the placenta. However, the skin phenotype was not ameliorated. We then generated transgenic mice expressing exogenous FATP4 either widely or specifically in suprabasal keratinocytes, and we bred the transgenes onto the Fatp4(-/-) background. Both modes of FATP4 expression led to rescue of the neonatally lethal skin defects, and the resulting mice were viable and fertile. Keratinocyte expression of an FATP4 variant with mutations in the acyl-CoA synthetase domain did not provide any degree of rescue. We conclude that expression of FATP4 with an intact acyl-CoA synthetase domain in suprabasal keratinocytes is necessary for normal skin development and that FATP4 functions in establishing the cornified envelope.

NO-1886 (ibrolipim), a lipoprotein lipase-promoting agent, accelerates the expression of UCP3 messenger RNA and ameliorates obesity in ovariectomized rats.

The synthetic compound NO-1886 (ibrolipim, [4-(4-bromo-2-cyano-phenylcarbamoyl)-benzyl]-phosphonic acid diethyl ester, CAS 133208-93-2) is a lipoprotein lipase (LPL)-promoting agent that decreases plasma triglycerides, increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and prevents fat accumulation in high fat-fed rats. However, the effect of NO-1886 on body weight, fat accumulation, and energy expenditure in ovariectomized (OVX) rats is not clear. The primary aim of this study was to ascertain whether NO-1886 ameliorated obesity in OVX rats and to examine the effects on fatty acid oxidation-related enzymes. NO-1886 decreased accumulation of visceral fat and suppressed the increase in body weight resulting from the ovariectomy. NO-1886 decreased the respiratory quotient and increased expression of the fatty acid translocase messenger RNA (mRNA) in the liver, soleus muscle, and mesenteric fat. NO-1886 also increased the expression of fatty acid-binding protein mRNA in the liver and soleus muscle and the expression of the uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) mRNA in the heart, soleus muscle, and mesenteric fat, but not in the brown adipose tissue. Furthermore, NO-1886 did not affect UCP1 and UCP2 in brown adipose tissue. Therefore, amelioration of obesity by NO-1886 in OVX rats is possibly because of an the increased expression of fatty acid oxidation-related enzymes and UCP3, both of which are related to fatty acid transfer and fat use. Our study indicates that the LPL-promoting agent NO-1886 may be potentially beneficial in the treatment of obesity and obesity-linked health problems in postmenopausal women.

[The expression and the significance of L-FABP and FATP4 in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of liver fatty acid binding protein(L-FABP) and fatty acid transport protein (FATP4) in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats. METHODS: The expression of L-FABP and FATP4 genes was examined in fatty liver rats by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification and Western blot methods. RESULTS: In the high fat diet group (F), mRNA and protein expression of L-FABP and FATP4 were increased at 2 weeks, and they increased remarkably at 12 weeks (P < 0.05; L-FABP mRNA F=124.9, protein expression F=92.6; FATP4 mRNA F=602.9, protein expression F=108.8). CONCLUSION: The high expression of L-FABP and FATP4 at the early stage is an adaptive reaction of the body, With the advanced expression of the L-FABP and FATP4, it can lead to a fatty acid disequilibrium and then result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the rats.