title: Fatty acid transporters in plasma membranes of cardiomyocytes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long-chain fatty acids are one of the major cardiac energy substrates. Although the exact mechanism of myocardial fatty acid uptake is not known, several proteins, including the integral membrane proteins FATP1 (fatty acid transport protein 1) and FAT (fatty acid translocase), are being implicated in this process. The aim of this study was to further investigate FATP1 and FAT in the heart and its potential role in myocardial fatty acid utilization. -
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of FATP1 and FAT in mouse myocardium and in myocardial biopsies of 14 patients with different cardiomyopathies was detected by immunocytochemistry and visualized with a laser scanning microscope. -
  
  
  RESULTS
  FAT and FATP1 are co-expressed on the plasma membrane of cardiac endothelial cells and on the sarcolemma of cardiomyocytes. The staining-pattern and the intensity of signal for both transport proteins was constant in different cardiomyopathies compared with the expression in biopsies of patients with other cardiac diseases and the expression in the myocardium of healthy mice. -
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiac endothelial cells and cardiomyocytes express FAT and FATP1 in vivo, suggesting an active part of these proteins in the uptake process of long-chain fatty acids. However, we did not find evidence for an altered expression of fatty acid transport proteins in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, suggesting that these proteins are of minor importance in this kind of heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Innere Medizin IV, Bergheimerstr. 58, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany. juergen.pohl@uniklinik-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Fitscher
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ihl-Vahl
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stremmel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018955:CD36 Antigens; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters
chemical_list: D018955:CD36 Antigens; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; C493568:SLC27A1 protein, human