Low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet attenuates pressure overload-induced ventricular remodeling and dysfunction.
BACKGROUND
It is not known how carbohydrate and fat intake affect the development of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction in response to pressure overload. We hypothesized that a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet prevents LV hypertrophy and dysfunction compared with high-carbohydrate diets.


RESULTS
Rats were fed high-carbohydrate diets composed of either starch or sucrose, or a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet, and underwent abdominal aortic banding (AAB) for 2 months. AAB increased LV mass with all diets. LV end-diastolic and systolic volumes and the ratio of the mRNA for myosin heavy chain beta/alpha were increased with both high-carbohydrate diets but not with the low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. Circulating levels of insulin and leptin, both stimulants for cardiac growth, were lower, and free fatty acids were higher with the low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet compared with high-carbohydrate diets. Among animals that underwent AAB, LV volumes were positively correlated with insulin and LV mass correlated with leptin.


CONCLUSIONS
A low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet attenuated pressure overload-induced LV remodeling compared with high-carbohydrate diets. This effect corresponded to lower insulin and leptin concentrations, suggesting they may contribute to the development of LV hypertrophy and dysfunction under conditions of pressure overload.
Duda
Monika K
MK
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
O'Shea
Karen M
KM
Lei
Biao
B
Barrows
Brian R
BR
Azimzadeh
Agnes M
AM
McElfresh
Tracy E
TE
Hoit
Brian D
BD
Kop
Willem J
WJ
Stanley
William C
WC
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D050528:Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin