细胞凋亡是动物机体调控细胞数量的重要机制，而脂肪细胞凋亡在动物脂质代谢和能量平衡调节过程中发挥着关键性的作用。基于高不饱和脂肪酸（HUFA）可降低动物机体脂质蓄积的现象，本项目拟以我国特有的鲤科鱼类草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)为试验材料，采用离体细胞培养与在体饲喂、RNA干扰、流式细胞仪分析、免疫染色、实时定量PCR及Western blot等细胞和分子生物学技术，探究HUFA诱导草鱼脂肪细胞凋亡的作用，并通过检测细胞凋亡过程中caspase家族、Bcl-2家族、TNF-α等凋亡相关指标的变化情况，明确HUFA诱导凋亡作用的具体途径，深入探讨其作用产生过程中线粒体介由细胞凋亡的内源性凋亡通路和TNF受体途径等外源性凋亡通路的分子事件，系统分析其作用机制。研究结果将为淡水鱼脂质代谢调控原理及技术研究提供依据和研究思路，具有较大的理论和应用意义。

Apoptosis (i.e. programmed cell death) serves as a major mechanism for regulation of cell numbers. The apoptosis of adipocytes plays a crucial role in animal lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. Based on the phenomenon that highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) could reduce the body's lipid accumulation, we will take grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), the unique carp species in China, as the animal model in this project. Cell culture, RNAi, realtime-PCR, Western Blot, and other biotechnological techniques,as well as some animal nutritional methods would be applied in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this project is to study the effects of different types and different contents of HUFA (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA; docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) on apoptosis of adipocytes. Some indicators of apoptosis would be detected, including caspases proteases, Bcl-2 family proteins, TNF-α and other indicators which play a role during the apoptosis process. Through those indicators detected, we would define the specific apoptosis pathway induced by HUFA. The role of the regulators belonging to the mitochondrial apoptosis and TNF superfamily extracellular pathway would be explored scientifically. The results will provide reasons and thoughts in study for principle of controlling lipid metabolism and technology in freshwater fish. This project has the significance of theory and application.