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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #243631
Title: Cyclic GMP signaling in cardiomyocytes modulates fatty acid trafficking and prevents triglyceride accumulation

Author
item KHAIRALLAH, RAMZI - University Of Montreal
item KHAIRALLAH, MAYA - University Of Montreal
item GELINAS, ROSELLE - University Of Montreal
item BOUCHARD, BERTRAND - University Of Montreal
item YOUNG, MARTIN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item ALLEN, BRUCE - University Of Montreal
item LOPASCHUK, GARY - University Of Alberta
item DESCHEPPER, CHRISEIAN - University Of Montreal
item DES ROSIERS, CHRISTINE - University Of Montreal

Submitted to: Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2008
Publication Date: 7/1/2008
Citation: Khairallah, R.J., Khairallah, M., Gelinas, R., Bouchard, B., Young, M.E., Allen, B.G., Lopaschuk, G.D., Deschepper, C.F., Des Rosiers, C. 2008. Cyclic GMP signaling in cardiomyocytes modulates fatty acid trafficking and prevents triglyceride accumulation. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. 45(2):230-239.

Interpretive Summary: An inability of the heart to pump enough blood is termed heart failure. One possible explanation for heart failure is that the heart is not able to generate enough energy. Therefore understanding the ways in which the heart controls energy metabolism is very important. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how cGMP signaling influences heart metabolism. The study shows that cGMP blocks the ability of the heart to store fatty acids as triglycerides. This information will help future studies designed to tailor drug treatments for heart disease.

Technical Abstract: While the balance between carbohydrates and fatty acids for energy production appears to be crucial for cardiac homeostasis, much remains to be learned about the molecular mechanisms underlying this relationship. Given the reported benefits of cGMP signaling on the myocardium, we investigated the impact of its chronic activation on cardiac energy metabolism using mice overexpressing a constitutively active cytoplasmic guanylate cyclase (GC+/0) in cardiomyocytes. Ex vivo working GC+/0 heart perfusions with 13C-labeled substrates revealed an altered pattern of exogenous substrate fuel selection compared to controls, namely a 38+/-9% lower contribution of exogenous fatty acids to acetyl-CoA formation, while that of carbohydrates remains unchanged despite a two-fold increase in glycolysis. The lower contribution of exogenous fatty acids to energy production is not associated with changes in energy demand or supply (contractile function, oxygen consumption, tissue acetyl-CoA or CoA levels, citric acid cycle flux rate) or in the regulation of Beta-oxidation (acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity, tissue malonyl-CoA levels). However, GC+/0 hearts show a two-fold increase in the incorporation of exogenous oleate into triglycerides. Furthermore, the following molecular data are consistent with a concomitant increase in triglyceride hydrolysis: (i) increased abundance of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) protein (24+/-11%) and mRNA (22+/-4%) as well as (ii) several phosphorylation events related to HSL inhibitory (AMPK) and activation (ERK 1/2) sites, which should contribute to enhance its activity. These changes in exogenous fatty acid trafficking in GC+/0 hearts appear to be functionally relevant, as demonstrated by their resistance to fasting-induced triglyceride accumulation. While the documented metabolic profile of GC+/0 mouse hearts is partly reminiscent of hypertrophied hearts, the observed changes in lipid trafficking have not been previously documented, and may be part of the molecular mechanism underlying the benefits of cGMP signaling on the myocardium.