title: Intracellular diglycerides in relation to glycaemic control in the myocardium: A pilot study in humans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intramyocellular diglycerides have been implicated in the development of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. In the myocardium, excess lipid storage may also contribute to the appearance of diabetic cardiomyopathy, while diglycerides may have certain cardio-protective functions. However, little is known on intracellular diglyceride accumulation in the human heart. We aimed to determine diglyceride accumulation in the human myocardium in relation to diabetes status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six diabetic and six non-diabetic aged human subjects undergoing by-pass surgery participated in the study. Subjects were matched for age and body mass index. Intracellular diglyceride levels were measured in heart biopsy samples. Additional samples were taken from pectoralis major muscle that served as control. Whole body glycaemic control was assessed as the percent glycated haemoglobin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intracellular diglycerides were significantly higher in the myocardium compared to pectoralis major (P<0.05). Although not statistically significant, diabetic subjects tended to accumulate smaller amounts of diglycerides compared to non-diabetic subjects in the myocardium. A linear negative correlation was observed between myocardial diglycerides and glycaemic control (r=0.632, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that poor glycaemic control and diabetes may be associated with a defective accumulation of myocardial diglycerides, possibly blunting intracellular processes and contributing to the development of cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio Univeristy, 70, El. Venizelou Ave., 176 71 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Anastasiou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio Univeristy, 70, El. Venizelou Ave., 176 71 Athens, Greece; 1st Cardiac Surgery Department, Evangelismos General Hospital, Ipsilantou 47, 106 76 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stamatelopoulos
authors.affiliation: 1st Cardiac Surgery Department, Evangelismos General Hospital, Ipsilantou 47, 106 76 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dedeilias
authors.affiliation: 1st Cardiac Surgery Department, Evangelismos General Hospital, Ipsilantou 47, 106 76 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charitos
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio Univeristy, 70, El. Venizelou Ave., 176 71 Athens, Greece; Department of Internal Medicine-Geriatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Rebeca Sealy Hospital Building 6.128, Galveston, TX 77555-0177, USA.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sidossis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio Univeristy, 70, El. Venizelou Ave., 176 71 Athens, Greece; Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. Electronic address: Kavouras@uark.edu.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kavouras
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000209:etiology; D004075:Diglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D004075:Diglycerides; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: Diabetes; Diglycerides; Heart; Insulin resistance; Myocardium