Brain Natriuretic Peptide Stimulates Lipid Metabolism through Its Receptor <i>NPR1</i> and the Glycerolipid Metabolism Pathway in Chicken Adipocytes

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is related to lipid metabolism in mammals, but its effect and the molecular mechanisms underlying it in chickens are incompletely understood. We found that the level of natriuretic peptide precursor B (<i>NPPB</i>, which encodes <i>BNP</i>) mRNA expression in high-abdominal-fat chicken groups was significantly higher than that of low-abdominal-fat groups. Partial correlations indicated that changes in the weight of abdominal fat were positively correlated with <i>NPPB</i> mRNA expression level. <i>In vitro</i>, compared with the control group, preadipocytes with <i>NPPB</i> interference showed reduced levels of proliferation, differentiation, and glycerin in media. Treatments of cells with BNP led to enhanced proliferation and differentiation of cells and glycerin concentration, and mRNA expression of its receptor natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (<i>NPR1</i>) was upregulated significantly. In cells exposed to BNP, 482 differentially expressed genes were identified compared with controls without BNP. Four genes known to be related to lipid metabolism (diacylglycerol kinase; lipase, endothelial; 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate <i>O</i>-acyltransferase 1; and 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate <i>O</i>-acyltransferase 2) were enriched in the glycerolipid metabolism pathway and expressed differentially. In conclusion, BNP stimulates the proliferation, differentiation, and lipolysis of preadipocytes through upregulation of the levels of expression of its receptor <i>NPR1</i> and key genes enriched in the glycerolipid metabolic pathway