Project description:Impaired myocardial contractile function is a hallmark of heart failure (HF) which may present under resting conditions and/or during physiological stress. Previous studies reported that high fat feeding in HF is associated with improved myocardial contractile function at baseline. Our goal was to determine whether myocardial function is compromised in response to physiological stress and to evaluate the global gene expression profile of rats fed high dietary fat following infarction. Male Wistar rats underwent ligation or sham surgery and were fed normal (10% kcal fat) (SHAM+NC, HF+NC) or high fat (60% kcal saturated fat) (SHAM+SAT, HF+SAT) for 8 weeks. Myocardial contractile function was assessed using a Millar pressure-volume (PV) conductance catheter at baseline, during inferior vena caval occlusions and dobutamine (DOB) stress. Steady state indices of systolic function, left ventricular (LV)+dP/dtmax, stroke work and maximal power were increased in HF+SAT vs HF+NC; HF+NC were reduced vs SHAM+NC. Preload-recruitable measures of contractility [end systolic PV relationship, maximal elastance, preload recruitable SW and peak+dP/dtmax to end diastolic volume] were decreased in HF+NC but not HF+SAT. β-adrenergic responsiveness (delta-LV+dP/dtmax and delta-cardiac output DOB 0-10 µg•kg-1•min-1) was reduced in HF, but high fat feeding did not further impact contractile reserve in HF. Contractile reserve was reduced by high fat in SHAM+SAT. Microarray gene expression analysis reveals the majority of significantly altered pathways identified to contain multiple gene targets correspond to cell signaling pathways and energy metabolism. These findings suggest that high saturated fat improves myocardial function at rest and during physiological stress in infarcted hearts, but may negatively impact contractile reserve under non-pathological conditions. Furthermore, high fat feeding-induced alterations in gene expression related to energy metabolism and specific signaling pathways reveal promising targets through which high saturated fat potentially mediates cardioprotection in heart failure/LV dysfunction. Comparison of gene expression in heart failure or sham surgery hearts exposed to saturated or normal diets. Male Wistar rats (300-350g) were maintained on a reverse light-dark cycle and all procedures were done 3-6 hours into the dark phase cycle to synchronize with the normal active state of the rodents. Rats were randomly assigned to receive either a sham-operation (SH) or coronary ligation to induce cardiac dysfunction (HF). Heart failure was induced by ligating the left main coronary artery. Following surgery, rats were immediately fed either a normal rodent chow (NC) or a high saturated fat chow (SAT) with 60% caloric content derived from fat (25% palmitic, 33% stearic, 33% oleic acid, Research Diets).
Project description:Impaired myocardial contractile function is a hallmark of heart failure (HF) which may present under resting conditions and/or during physiological stress. Previous studies reported that high fat feeding in HF is associated with improved myocardial contractile function at baseline. Our goal was to determine whether myocardial function is compromised in response to physiological stress and to evaluate the global gene expression profile of rats fed high dietary fat following infarction. Male Wistar rats underwent ligation or sham surgery and were fed normal (10% kcal fat) (SHAM+NC, HF+NC) or high fat (60% kcal saturated fat) (SHAM+SAT, HF+SAT) for 8 weeks. Myocardial contractile function was assessed using a Millar pressure-volume (PV) conductance catheter at baseline, during inferior vena caval occlusions and dobutamine (DOB) stress. Steady state indices of systolic function, left ventricular (LV)+dP/dtmax, stroke work and maximal power were increased in HF+SAT vs HF+NC; HF+NC were reduced vs SHAM+NC. Preload-recruitable measures of contractility [end systolic PV relationship, maximal elastance, preload recruitable SW and peak+dP/dtmax to end diastolic volume] were decreased in HF+NC but not HF+SAT. β-adrenergic responsiveness (delta-LV+dP/dtmax and delta-cardiac output DOB 0-10 µg•kg-1•min-1) was reduced in HF, but high fat feeding did not further impact contractile reserve in HF. Contractile reserve was reduced by high fat in SHAM+SAT. Microarray gene expression analysis reveals the majority of significantly altered pathways identified to contain multiple gene targets correspond to cell signaling pathways and energy metabolism. These findings suggest that high saturated fat improves myocardial function at rest and during physiological stress in infarcted hearts, but may negatively impact contractile reserve under non-pathological conditions. Furthermore, high fat feeding-induced alterations in gene expression related to energy metabolism and specific signaling pathways reveal promising targets through which high saturated fat potentially mediates cardioprotection in heart failure/LV dysfunction.
Project description:Numerous studies found intestinal microbiota alterations which are thought to affect the development of various diseases through the production of gut-derived metabolites. However, the specific metabolites and their pathophysiological contribution to cardiac hypertrophy or heart failure progression still remain unclear. N,N,N-trimethyl-5-aminovaleric acid (TMAVA), derived from trimethyllysine through the gut microbiota, was elevated with gradually increased risk of cardiac mortality and transplantation in a prospective heart failure cohort (n=1647). TMAVA treatment aggravated cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction in high-fat diet-fed mice. Decreased fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is a hallmark of metabolic reprogramming in the diseased heart and contributes to impaired myocardial energetics and contractile dysfunction. Proteomics uncovered that TMAVA disturbed cardiac energy metabolism, leading to inhibition of FAO and myocardial lipid accumulation. TMAVA treatment altered mitochondrial ultrastructure, respiration and FAO and inhibited carnitine metabolism. Mice with γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase (BBOX) deficiency displayed a similar cardiac hypertrophy phenotype, indicating that TMAVA functions through BBOX. Finally, exogenous carnitine supplementation reversed TMAVA induced cardiac hypertrophy. These data suggest that the gut microbiota-derived TMAVA is a key determinant for the development of cardiac hypertrophy through inhibition of carnitine synthesis and subsequent FAO.
Project description:Akt is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is activated by a variety of growth factors or cytokines in a PI3-kinase dependent manner. Using a conditional transgenic system in which Akt signaling can be turned on or off in the adult heart, we have recently demonstrated that short-term Akt activation induces a ‘physiological’ form of cardiac hypertrophy with enhanced coronary angiogenesis and maintained contractility. Here we tested the hypothesis that induction of physiological hypertrophy by short-term Akt activation might improve contractile function in failing hearts. When Akt signaling was transiently activated in murine hearts with impaired contractility induced by pressure overload or adriamycin treatment, contractile dysfunction was attenuated in both cases. Importantly, improvement of contractility was observed before the development of cardiac hypertrophy, indicating that Akt improves contractile dysfunction independently of its growth-promoting effects. To gain mechanistic insights into Akt-mediated positive inotropic effects, transcriptional profiles in the heart were determined in a pressure overload-induced heart failure model. Biological network analysis of differentially expressed transcripts revealed significant alterations in the expression of genes associated with cell death, and these alterations were reversed by short-term Akt activation. Thus, short-term Akt activation improves contractile dysfunction in failing hearts. This beneficial effect of Akt on contractility is hypertrophy-independent and may be mediated in part by inhibition of cell death associated with heart failure. Keywords: transgenic mice, Akt1, cardiac hypertrophy after ascending aortic constriction and contractile dysfunction, DNA microarrays
Project description:During development of heart failure, capacity for cardiomyocyte fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and ATP production is progressively diminished contributing to pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction. Receptor interacting protein 140 (RIP140; Nrip1) has been shown to function as a transcriptional co-repressor of oxidative metabolism. Here we show that mice lacking RIP140 in striated muscle (strRIP140-/-) have increased expression of a broad array of involved in a broad array of mitochondrial energy metabolism and contractile function in heart and skeletal muscle. strRIP140-/- mice were resistant to the development of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, and cardiomyocyte-specific RIP140 deficient (csRIP140-/-) mice were defended against development of heart failure caused by pressure overload combined with myocardial infarction. Genomic enhancers activated by RIP140 deficiency in cardiomyocytes were enriched in binding motifs for transcriptional regulators of mitochondrial function (estrogen-related receptor) and cardiac contractile proteins (myocyte enhancer factor 2). Consistent with a role in the control of cardiac fuel metabolism, loss of RIP140 in heart resulted in augmented triacylglyceride turnover and FA utilization. We conclude that RIP140 functions as a suppressor of a transcriptional regulatory network that controls cardiac fuel metabolism and contractile function, representing a potential therapeutic target for heart failure.
Project description:During development of heart failure, capacity for cardiomyocyte fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and ATP production is progressively diminished contributing to pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction. Receptor interacting protein 140 (RIP140; Nrip1) has been shown to function as a transcriptional co-repressor of oxidative metabolism. Here we show that mice lacking RIP140 in striated muscle (strRIP140-/-) have increased expression of a broad array of involved in a broad array of mitochondrial energy metabolism and contractile function in heart and skeletal muscle. strRIP140-/- mice were resistant to the development of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, and cardiomyocyte-specific RIP140 deficient (csRIP140-/-) mice were defended against development of heart failure caused by pressure overload combined with myocardial infarction. Genomic enhancers activated by RIP140 deficiency in cardiomyocytes were enriched in binding motifs for transcriptional regulators of mitochondrial function (estrogen-related receptor) and cardiac contractile proteins (myocyte enhancer factor 2). Consistent with a role in the control of cardiac fuel metabolism, loss of RIP140 in heart resulted in augmented triacylglyceride turnover and FA utilization. We conclude that RIP140 functions as a suppressor of a transcriptional regulatory network that controls cardiac fuel metabolism and contractile function, representing a potential therapeutic target for heart failure.
Project description:Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) is a paracrine factor critical for cardiac development. We have been examining whether the recombinant NRG-1β isoform known as glial growth factor 2 (GGF2) has therapeutic potential for heart failure. In both small and large animals after experimental myocardial infarction (MI) we have found that GGF2 treatment improves myocardial function and limits progressive myocardial remodeling. To understand potential mechanisms for this effect, we compared gene expression in swine by microarray analysis. We used microarrays to compared th the global gene expression underlying the efficacy of GGF2 treatment for heart injury.
Project description:Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) is a paracrine factor critical for cardiac development. We have been examining whether the recombinant NRG-1β isoform known as glial growth factor 2 (GGF2) has therapeutic potential for heart failure. In both small and large animals after experimental myocardial infarction (MI) we have found that GGF2 treatment improves myocardial function and limits progressive myocardial remodeling. To understand potential mechanisms for this effect, we compared gene expression in swine by microarray analysis. We used microarrays to compared th the global gene expression underlying the efficacy of GGF2 treatment for heart injury. Left ventricular tissue remote from the site of infarct was collected from each of 8 animals (3 untreated controls, 3 low dose GGF2-treated and 2 high dose GGF2-treated) and processed for gene expression microarray analysis using Affymetrix porcine genome GeneChips.