title: Heart-protective effect of n-3 PUFA demonstrated in a rat model of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: This study was designed to examine in vivo functional changes of the heart in the early stages of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy and to evaluate the effects of n-3 PUFA intake. Moreover, we investigated whether modulation of diabetes-related abnormalities of myocardial connexin-43 (Cx43), β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), and β1-adrenergic receptors (β1-AR) might be implicated in the cardioprotective mechanism of n-3 PUFA. Our results showed significantly reduced cardiac output and ejection fraction (using the microtip pressure-volume catheter technique) as well as stroke volume and stroke work, 4 weeks after STZ-induced diabetes, with improvement of these parameters due to n-3 PUFA consumption. Myocardial expression of Cx43 mRNA estimated by real-time polymerase chain reaction did not change in diabetic rats regardless of n-3 PUFA consumption (100 mg/100 g b.w./day). In contrast, the total and functional phosphorylated form of Cx43 protein increased significantly, and its cardiomyocyte-related distribution was disordered in the diabetic heart, but these changes normalized because of n-3 PUFA intake. Furthermore, acute diabetes was accompanied by decrease of myocardial β1-AR mRNA expression and mild yet nonsignificant increase of β-MHC mRNA. These alterations were not significantly affected by n-3 PUFA. In conclusion, the results point out that STZ-diabetic rats benefit from n-3 PUFA consumption particularly because of the attenuation of myocardial Cx43 abnormalities that most likely contributes to improvement of cardiac function.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Zhukovska
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Anna
authors.forename: Shysh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angela
authors.forename: Bacova
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barbara
authors.forename: Radosinska
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jana
authors.forename: Benova
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tamara
authors.forename: Viczenczova
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Csilla
authors.forename: Dosenko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Victor
authors.forename: Moybenko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oleksiy
authors.forename: Tribulova
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Narcisa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / Q000235:genetics; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1; D013311:Streptozocin; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains