Key result
Obese female rats developed significantly more severe pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction after monocrotaline injection compared to lean females, while obesity did not worsen disease severity in male rats.
Why the study?
Obesity and pulmonary hypertension share common characteristics, but the exact role of obesity and the influence of gender differences on PH development remain largely uninvestigated.
Does gender influence the severity of monocrotaline or chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in obese rats and mice?
Does gender influence the severity of monocrotaline or chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in obese rats and mice?
Gender influences the severity of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in obese rats, with obese females developing more severe disease than lean females, highlighting the need to consider sex differences in obesity-related pulmonary hypertension.
Suggests sex-specific obesity effects on PH severity; leaves open human relevance pending clinical studies.
BACKGROUND: Obesity and pulmonary hypertension (PH) share common characteristics, such as augmented inflammation and oxidative stress. However, the exact role of obesity in the pathology of PH is largely uninvestigated. Therefore, we have hypothesized that in the context of obesity the gender difference may have influence on development of PH in animal models of this disease. METHODS: Animal experiments were conducted in monocrotaline (MCT) and chronic hypoxia (HOX) models of PH. Lean and obese Zucker rats or B6 mice of both genders were used for MCT or HOX models, respectively. Echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements, histology and immuno-histochemistry were performed to analyze various parameters, such as right ventricular function and hypertrophy, hemodynamics, pulmonary vascular remodeling and lung inflammation. RESULTS: Both lean and obese male and female Zucker rats developed PH after a single MCT injection. However, negligible differences were seen between lean and obese male rats in terms of PH severity at the end stage of disease. Conversely, a more prominent and severe PH was observed in obese female rats compared to their lean counterparts. In contrast, HOX induced PH in lean and obese, male and female mice did not show any apparent differences. CONCLUSION: Gender influences PH severity in obese MCT-injected rats. It is also an important factor associated with altered inflammation. However, further research is necessary to investigate and reveal the underlying mechanisms.
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Neupane et al. (2020) studied Pulmonary hypertension. Obesity vs. Lean counterparts was evaluated on Pulmonary hypertension severity (right ventricular systolic pressure, hypertrophy, and vascular remodeling). Obese female rats developed significantly more severe pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction after monocrotaline injection compared to lean females, while obesity did not worsen disease severity in male rats.
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