Occurrence of low birth weight (LBW) is a major concern in livestock production, resulting in poor postnatal growth, lowered efficiency of feed utilization, and impaired metabolic health in adult life. In the southwest region of China,
birth weight of indigenous strains of goats varies seasonally with lower weights in summer and winter, but the metabolic regulation of the LBW offspring is still unknown. In this study, by comparing LBW goats to normal
birth weight group, we examined hepatic
lipid content in association with regulatory mechanisms. Histological studies showed higher microvesicular morphology in the liver of LBW goats in accompany with a significantly higher level of hepatic
free fatty acids, total
triglycerides, and cholesterols. Lipid metabolism impairment, increased oxidative stress, and
inflammation were observed by transcriptome analysis. Meanwhile, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotation further demonstrated lipid peroxidation,
antioxidant pathway, and pro-inflammatory response involved in the hepatic
lipid dysregulation from LBW group. Therefore, dysregulations of hepatic lipid metabolism, including
fatty acid biosynthesis and degradation,
lipid transportation, and oxidative stress, played important roles to contribute the
lipid accumulation in LBW goats. Moreover, due to impaired
antioxidant capacity, the oxidative damage could interact with persisting pro-inflammatory responses, leading to a higher risk of liver injury and
metabolic syndromes in their adult life.