Effect of β-hydroxybutyrate on Chronic Inflammation in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Mice

Shi Yi; Wang Yanyan

Abstract：Objective To establish a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)and explore the effect and mechanism of β-hydroxybutyric acid(BHB)and acetoacetic acid(AcAc)on PCOS in mice.Methods The mice PCOS model was established by subcutaneous injection of dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA).Besides the control group,the mice in the model group were randomly divided into DHEA group,DHEA+AcAc group and DHEA+BHB group,and the intervention lasted for 8 weeks.Serum levels of sex hormones and inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA.The morphological changes of ovary were observed by HE staining.West-ern Blot assay was used to detect the expression of inflammatory signaling pathway related proteins.Results AcAc did not improve the disturbance of estrous cycle and polycystic changes of ovarian morphology in DHEA-induced PCOS mice,while BHB could effectively improve the disturbance of estrous cycle and polycystic changes of ovarian morphology in DHEA-induced PCOS mice.ELISA results showed that compared with DHEA group,serum sex hormones and inflammatory factors in DHEA+AcAc group had no significant chan-ges.The levels of serum sex hormones testosterone,estradiol,progesterone,anti-Muller hormone and inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6,IL-18 and CRP in DHEA+BHB group were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Western Blot results showed that BHB but not AcAc intervention could significantly inhibit the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 signaling pathways in ovarian tissue of DHEA-trea-ted mice(P<0.05).Conclusion BHB can ameliorate PCOS symptoms in mice,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibitory effect of BHB on the activation of NF-κB and NLRP3 signaling pathways in ovarian tissue of PCOS mice.