Acetate circumvents impaired metabolic switch in skeletal muscle of letrozole-induced PCOS rat model by suppression of PDK4/NLRP3

Endocrine disorders in women of childbearing age, including polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), have been linked to skeletal muscle insulin resistance with multiple post-receptor intracellular defects, disrupting metabolic flexibility. Short-chain fatty acids, such as acetate have been suggested as a metabolic modulator. However, the effects of acetate on aberrant metabolic switch in skeletal muscle of individuals with PCOS are unknown. This study therefore hypothesized that acetate would circumvent impaired metabolic switch in the skeletal muscle of a letrozole-induced PCOS rat model, probably by suppression of PDK4/NLRP3.Eight-wk-old female Wistar rats were assigned into three groups (n = 6), which received vehicle, letrozole (1 mg/kg), and letrozole plus acetate (200 mg/kg), respectively. The administrations were done by oral gavage for 21 d. .Animals with PCOS had insulin resistance, increased testosterone, and leptin, as well as decreased adiponectin level. Additionally, the skeletal muscle was also characterized with increased lipid deposition, malondialdehyde, inflammatory mediators (nuclear factor-κB and tumor necrosis factor-α), lactate dehydrogenase, lactate/pyruvate ratio, HDAC and PDK 4 with corresponding decrease in glycogen synthesis, glutathione and NrF2. Besides, immunohistochemical evaluation showed severe expression of inflammasome and apoptosis in PCOS animals. Nonetheless, supplementation with acetate significantly attenuated these perturbations.The present results demonstrate aberrant metabolic switch in the skeletal muscle of PCOS animals, which is accompanied by excessive inflammation, oxidative stress and elevated levels of histone deacetylase and PDK4. The results suggested that histone deacetylase inhibitor, acetate circumvents impaired metabolic switch in the skeletal muscle of PCOS rats by suppression of PDK4/NLRP3 inflammasome.