title: Improvement of the energy supply and contractile function in normal and ischemic rat hearts by dietary orotic acid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As cardiac performance is closely related to its energy supply, our study investigated the effect of the orotic acid cardioprotective agent on the pathways of energy supply, in both conditions of normal flow and ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats were fed during nine days with a balanced diet only or supplemented with 1% orotic acid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dietary administration of orotic acid increased the cardiac utilization of fatty acids, activity of the lipoprotein lipase, expression of the gene of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and its target enzymes. In addition, orotic acid increased the myocardial uptake and incorporation of glucose, glycogen content and level of GLUT4, concentration of glycolytic metabolites and lactate production in both experimental conditions, baseline and after regional ischemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, in orotic acid hearts there was a simultaneous stimulus of fatty acid oxidation and glycolytic pathway, reflected in increased energetic content even in pre-ischemia. The analysis of the cardiac contractility index showed a positive inotropic effect of orotic acid due, at least in part, to the increased availability of energy. The result allows us to suggest that the metabolic changes induced by orotic acid result in appreciable alterations on myocardial contractile function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Sciences, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil. laurap@dca.ufla.br
authors.forename: Laura Cristina Jardim
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Pôrto
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Sílvia Silveira Quintão
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Savergnini
authors.forename: Sérgio Henrique Sousa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Adaliene Versiani Matos
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Letícia Maria de Souza
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: Deny Bruce de Sousa
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Sobrinho
authors.forename: Robson Augusto Souza
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Alvair Pinto
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Leida Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Botion
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006019:Glycolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009963:Orotic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D009963:Orotic Acid; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase