Key result
A 16-week high fat diet in Psammomys obesus gerbils induced significant body weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and severe myocardial structural disorganization including hypertrophy and fibrosis.
Why the study?
Does a high fat diet alter myocardial structure and calcium handling protein expression in Psammomys obesus gerbils?
Does a high fat diet alter myocardial structure and calcium handling protein expression in Psammomys obesus gerbils?
A short period of high fat diet in Psammomys obesus gerbils induces significant adverse cardiac remodeling, inflammation, and altered calcium handling.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Does not inform human dietary advice; leaves open translational relevance of this gerbil model for diet-induced cardiomyopathy.
BACKGROUND: Psammomys obesus gerbils are particularly prone to develop diabetes and obesity after brief period of abundant food intake. A hypercaloric high fat diet has been shown to affect cardiac function. Here, we sought to determine whether a short period of high fat feeding might alter myocardial structure and expression of calcium handling proteins in this particular strain of gerbils. METHODS: Twenty Psammomys obesus gerbils were randomly assigned to receive a normal plant diet (controls) or a high fat diet. At baseline and 16-week later, body weight, plasma biochemical parameters (including lipid and carbohydrate levels) were evaluated. Myocardial samples were collected for pathobiological evaluation. RESULTS: Sixteen-week high fat dieting resulted in body weight gain and hyperlipidemia, while levels of carbohydrates remained unchanged. At myocardial level, high fat diet induced structural disorganization, including cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, lipid accumulation, interstitial and perivascular fibrosis and increased number of infiltrating neutrophils. Myocardial expressions of pro-apoptotic Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio, pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α], intercellular (ICAM1) and vascular adhesion molecules (VCAM1) increased, while gene encoding cardiac muscle protein, the alpha myosin heavy polypeptide (MYH6), was downregulated. Myocardial expressions of sarco(endo)plasmic calcium-ATPase (SERCA2) and voltage-dependent calcium channel (Cacna1c) decreased, while protein kinase A (PKA) and calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK2D) expressions increased. Myocardial expressions of ryanodine receptor, phospholamban and sodium/calcium exchanger (Slc8a1) did not change. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that a relative short period of high fat diet in Psammomys obesus results in severe alterations of cardiac structure, activation of inflammatory and apoptotic processes, and altered expression of calcium-cycling determinants.
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Sahraoui et al. (2016) studied Diet-induced myocardial anomalies (n=20). High fat diet vs. Normal plant diet was evaluated on Body weight at 16 weeks (in grams) (p=0.002). A 16-week high fat diet in Psammomys obesus gerbils induced significant body weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and severe myocardial structural disorganization including hypertrophy and fibrosis.
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