Obesogenic high fat western diet induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in rat heart.

Feeding Wistar rats a high calorie "Western" diet (45% fat) for up to 48 weeks induces obesity and cardiac dysfunction, while a high fat diet (60% fat) induces obesity only. Here we investigated the molecular "footprints" of the two forms of diet-induced obesity in the heart. In rats fed Western diet for a long term, cardiac mRNA transcript levels of malic enzyme were decreased (-72%, P < 0.05), suggesting impaired anaplerotic flux of the Krebs cycle (KC) and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, there was a marked decrease in the expression of the transcription factor MEF2C (myocyte enhancer factor 2C) and its target gene SERCA2a (sarco-endo-plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase). Oxidative stress was reflected in reduced transcript levels of manganese superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase 1, and increased protein levels of mitochondrial transcription factor A, suggesting compensatory mitochondrial biogenesis in the face of increased mitochondrial damage. Oxidant injury was accompanied by increased protein glycosylation, increased transcript levels of glutamine fructose 6-phosphate amidotransferase 2, and decreased protein levels of acetyl Co-A carboxylase. Lastly, apoptosis was evident by TUNEL positivity and elevated mRNA transcript levels and activity of caspase 3. Consistent with these results, protein levels of Bcl2 were markedly reduced. We conclude that inadequate supplementation of KC intermediates due to reduced levels of malic enzyme, downregulation of MEF2C and its target gene SERCA2a, oxidative stress, and programmed cell death are all potential contributors to contractile dysfunction of the heart.

Markers of autophagy are downregulated in failing human heart after mechanical unloading.

BACKGROUND: Autophagy is a molecular process that breaks down damaged cellular organelles and yields amino acids for de novo protein synthesis or energy provision. Mechanical unloading with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) decreases the energy demand of the failing human heart. We tested the hypothesis that LVAD support reverses activation of autophagy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Paired biopsy samples of left ventricular myocardium were obtained from 9 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (mean duration of LVAD support, 214 days) at the time of implantation and explantation of the LVAD. Transcript and protein levels of markers and mediators of autophagy and apoptosis were measured by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. TUNEL assays, C9 immunohistochemistry, and 20S proteasome activity assays were also performed. Mechanical unloading significantly decreased mRNA transcript levels of Beclin-1, autophagy-related gene 5 (Atg5), and microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain-3 (MAP1-LC3 or LC3; P<0.02). Protein levels of Beclin-1, Atg5-Atg12 conjugate, and LC3-II were also significantly reduced after LVAD support (P<0.05). A significant increase in 20S proteasome activity was observed with unloading, in parallel to the decrease in autophagic markers. Although BNIP3 and the ratio of activated caspase 3 to procaspase 3 increased after LVAD support, Bcl-2 and TUNEL-positive nuclei were not significantly different between samples. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical unloading of the failing human heart decreases markers of autophagy. These findings suggest that autophagy may be an adaptive mechanism in the failing heart, and this phenomenon is attenuated by LVAD support.

Substrate-enzyme competition attenuates upregulated anaplerotic flux through malic enzyme in hypertrophied rat heart and restores triacylglyceride content: attenuating upregulated anaplerosis in hypertrophy.

Recent work identifies the recruitment of alternate routes for carbohydrate oxidation, other than pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), in hypertrophied heart. Increased carboxylation of pyruvate via cytosolic malic enzyme (ME), producing malate, enables "anaplerotic" influx of carbon into the citric acid cycle. In addition to inefficient NADH production from pyruvate fueling this anaplerosis, ME also consumes NADPH necessary for lipogenesis. Thus, we tested the balance between PDH and ME fluxes in hypertrophied hearts and examined whether low triacylglyceride (TAG) was linked to ME-catalyzed anaplerosis. Sham-operated (SHAM) and aortic banded rat hearts (HYP) were perfused with buffer containing either 13C-palmitate plus glucose or (13)C glucose plus palmitate for 30 minutes. Hearts remained untreated or received dichloroacetate (DCA) to activate PDH and increase substrate competition with ME. HYP showed a 13% to 26% reduction in rate pressure product (RPP) and impaired dP/dt versus SHAM (P<0.05). DCA did not affect RPP but normalized dP/dt in HYP. HYP had elevated ME expression with a 90% elevation in anaplerosis over SHAM. Increasing competition from PDH reduced anaplerosis in HYP+DCA by 18%. Correspondingly, malate was 2.2-fold greater in HYP than SHAM but was lowered with PDH activation: HYP=1419+/-220 nmol/g dry weight; HYP+DCA=343+/-56 nmol/g dry weight. TAG content in HYP (9.7+/-0.7 micromol/g dry weight) was lower than SHAM (13.5+/-1.0 micromol/g dry weight). Interestingly, reduced anaplerosis in HYP+DCA corresponded with normalized TAG (14.9+/-0.6 micromol/g dry weight) and improved contractility. Thus, we have determined partial reversibility of increased anaplerosis in HYP. The findings suggest anaplerosis through NADPH-dependent, cytosolic ME limits TAG formation in hypertrophied hearts.

Recruitment of compensatory pathways to sustain oxidative flux with reduced carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity characterizes inefficiency in energy metabolism in hypertrophied hearts.

BACKGROUND: Transport rates of long-chain free fatty acids into mitochondria via carnitine palmitoyltransferase I relative to overall oxidative rates in hypertrophied hearts remain poorly understood. Furthermore, the extent of glucose oxidation, despite increased glycolysis in hypertrophy, remains controversial. The present study explores potential compensatory mechanisms to sustain tricarboxylic acid cycle flux that resolve the apparent discrepancy of reduced fatty acid oxidation without increased glucose oxidation through pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in the energy-poor, hypertrophied heart. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied flux through the oxidative metabolism of intact adult rat hearts subjected to 10 weeks of pressure overload (hypertrophied; n=9) or sham operation (sham; n=8) using dynamic 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance. Isolated hearts were perfused with [2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16-(13)C8] palmitate (0.4 mmol/L) plus glucose (5 mmol/L) in a 14.1-T nuclear magnetic resonance magnet. At similar tricarboxylic acid cycle rates, flux through carnitine palmitoyltransferase I was 23% lower in hypertrophied (P<0.04) compared with sham hearts and corresponded to a shift toward increased expression of the L-carnitine palmitoyltransferase I isoform. Glucose oxidation via pyruvate dehydrogenase complex did not compensate for reduced palmitate oxidation rates. However, hypertrophied rats displayed an 83% increase in anaplerotic flux into the tricarboxylic acid cycle (P<0.03) that was supported by glycolytic pyruvate, coincident with increased mRNA transcript levels for malic enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: In cardiac hypertrophy, fatty acid oxidation rates are reduced, whereas compensatory increases in anaplerosis maintain tricarboxylic acid cycle flux and account for a greater portion of glucose oxidation than previously recognized. The shift away from acetyl coenzyme A production toward carbon influx via anaplerosis bypasses energy, yielding reactions contributing to a less energy-efficient heart.

Suppression of mismatched mutation by p53: a mechanism for guarding genomic integrity.

The tumor suppressor p53 plays an important role in guarding the genomic integrity of the cells. The 3'-->5' exonuclease activity of p53 has recently been recognized as a novel biochemical function of this molecule, and has been shown to preferentially excise mismatched nucleotides from DNA and enhance the DNA replication fidelity of polymerase alpha in vitro. The present study further investigated the role of this biochemical function in whole cells by testing the possibility that p53 may reduce mismatched mutations in cells under a stress of DNA replication errors. Cells with different states of p53 expression, either endogenously or ectopically, were exposed to hydroxyurea to induce an imbalance of cellular dNTP pools and cause replication errors. The rates of mutation at the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase ( HPRT) gene were determined by selecting colonies of HPRT- mutants. Incubation of cells with hydroxyurea induced a similar degree of dNTP pool imbalance in each cell line, but caused significantly more mutations in cells lacking p53 protein expression. The mutation frequency was significantly reduced by introduction of a wild-type p53 expression vector into the p53-null cells. Analysis of the mutants demonstrated that the clones were devoid of HPRT enzyme activity, but appeared to transcribe full-length HPRT mRNA. These data suggest that p53 is able to reduce mutations caused by misincorporation of deoxynucleotides. Thus, the preferential removal of mismatched nucleotides from DNA by p53 may be a mechanism to maintain genomic integrity. Defect in this biochemical function of p53 may contribute to genetic instability associated with cancer development and progression.