Effect of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Secondary to Chronic Pressure Overload on Transmural Myocardial 2-Deoxyglucose Uptake

BACKGROUND: This study tested the hypothesis that 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-detectable 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) uptake is increased in chronically pressure-overloaded hypertrophied left ventricular myocardium. METHODS AND RESULTS: 31P NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the transmural distribution of high-energy phosphate levels and 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate (2DGP) accumulation during intracoronary infusion of 2DG (15 mumol.kg body wt-1.min-1) in eight normal dogs and in eight dogs with severe left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) produced by ascending aortic banding. The ratio of LV weight to body weight was 8.25 +/- 0.65 g/kg in the LVH group compared with 4.35 +/- 0.11 g/kg in the normal group (P < .01). Myocardial ATP content was decreased by approximately 40% and phosphocreatine (PCr) by approximately 60% in LVH hearts. ATP values were transmurally uniform in LVH and normal hearts, whereas PCr was lower in the subendocardium (Endo) than the subepicardium (Epi) of both groups. The PCr/ATP ratio was lower in LVH hearts (1.72 +/- 0.05, 1.64 +/- 0.07, and 1.53 +/- 0.10 in Epi, midwall, and Endo, respectively) compared with normal hearts (2.36 +/- 0.05, 2.09 +/- 0.06, and 1.96 +/- 0.06; each P < .01 normal versus LVH). Arterial blood levels of glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids were comparable between groups, whereas arterial lactate and norepinephrine levels were significantly higher in the LVH group. 2DG infusion did not affect systemic hemodynamics or myocardial high-energy phosphate or inorganic phosphate levels in either group. At the end of 60 minutes of 2DG infusion, there was no detectable accumulation of 2DGP in the normal hearts. However, seven of the eight LVH hearts showed time-dependent accumulation of 2DGP, which was linearly related to the severity of hypertrophy (r = .90 for subendocardial 2DGP versus LV weight/body weight). A transmural gradient of 2DGP was present, with greatest accumulation in the subendocardium (3.3 +/- 1.6, 5.8 +/- 2.3, and 7.9 +/- 2.2 mumol/g in Epi, midwall, and Endo of the LVH hearts, respectively; P < .05 Epi versus Endo). CONCLUSIONS: The pressure-overloaded hypertrophied left ventricle demonstrated increased accumulation of 2DGP detected with 31P NMR spectroscopy. Accumulation of 2DGP was positively correlated with the degree of hypertrophy and was most marked in the subendocardium.