aortic injury induced by benzo(a)pyrene and atherogenic diet increased hepatic fgf21 expression in c57bl/6j mice

Background: benzo(a)pyrene (bap), an environmental toxicant and endocrine disruptor, has been shown to exacerbate atherosclerosis when combined with a high-fat diet. fibroblast growth factor-21 (fgf21), a novel hormone with anti-atherosclerotic properties, is associated with the presence of atherosclerosis and reduces plaque formation in experimental animals. objectives: the present study aimed to investigate the chronic effect of bap injection on hepatic fgf21 expression, as an anti-atherosclerotic hormone, in mice fed with or without an atherogenic diet (atd). methods: eighteen c57bl/6j male mice (6 weeks) were randomly divided into six groups based on the dosage and diet. blood samples were collected, and serum cholesterol, triglyceride, hdl-c, ldl-c, and glucose levels were measured. fgf21 expression was assessed by quantitative real-time pcr. atherosclerotic lesions in mice were studied with oil red o (oro) staining. results: benzo(a)pyrene causes a significant increase in liver fgf21 expression in a dose-dependent manner, and bap co-exposure with atd leads to a further increase in fgf21 expression. additionally, the addition of bap to atd significantly increased the serum glucose, cholesterol, and ldl-c levels and accelerated the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. besides, our findings showed that there is a significant positive correlation between fgf21 expression and glucose, cholesterol, ldl-c, and oro-positive areas. conclusions: our findings revealed that bap increases the expression of endogenous fgf21 in treated animals as a compensatory response to protect the heart from atherosclerosis induced by bap and atd.