title: Heterogeneous distribution of myocardial steatosis--an ex vivo evaluation.
abstract: Myocardial fat accumulation could occur in diseased hearts. The degree of heterogeneity is unknown because accurate assessment is difficult using conventional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques in a beating heart. The purpose of this study was to characterize the distribution of intramyocellular lipid content and to determine its association with disease characteristics. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed on formalin-fixed slices of human hearts at various circumferential locations (N = 55). Twenty-nine percent of the hearts had the highest fat content measured in the septum, followed by posterior (27%), lateral (26%), and anterior (18%) wall. Age was significantly correlated with the mean fat percentages (r2 = 0.12, P = 0.007). Those who died from cardiovascular disease demonstrated significantly higher and more heterogeneous fat distribution than those who did not (1.62% ± 1.1% vs. 0.59% ± 0.4%, P = 0.002). In summary, septal fat content is representative of mean fat percentage. Fat content increases with age; fat distribution may be heterogeneous when associated with cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. Cliu51@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Chia-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuan Chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bharath Ambale
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Venkatesh
authors.forename: Joao A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bluemke
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steenbergen
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D052439:Lipid Metabolism Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D011522:Protons