Paraoxonases gene expression and distribution in rats organs treated with atherogenic diet and atorvastatin therapy

Paraoxonases isoenzymes, PON1, PON2 and PON3, have important antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties in blood and cells. They prevent oxidation of low and high density lipoprotein particles, foam cells formation and development of atherosclerosis. The authors investigated effects of high fat diet and atorvastatin therapy on paraoxonases gene expression levels and distribution in different rat organs. Liver, white adipose tissue (WAT) and aorta were taken from young male Wistar rats that were fed with normal diet (ND), atherogenic diet (AD) and atherogenic diet with 1.14 mg of atorvastatin per kg (ADA). Messenger RNA (mRNA) relative levels of paraoxonase 1 (PON1), paraoxonase 2 (PON2) and paraoxonase 3 (PON3) were measured in rat organs using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PON1 mRNA expression levels were down-regulated in ADA compared to AD group. ND group had significantly lower PON2 mRNA expression than AD group. PON1 mRNA expression levels were higher in liver than in aorta in group of rats on ND, AD and ADA. PON2 mRNA expression was higher in WAT than in aorta only in ADA group of rats. PON2 and PON3 were significantly higher than PON1 in aorta of rats on each ND, AD or ADA.