title: Branched-chain amino acids ameliorate heart failure with cardiac cachexia in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heart failure (HF) is associated with changes in energy metabolism of the heart, as well as in extra-cardiac organs such as the skeletal muscles. Cardiac cachexia is a common complication and is associated with poor prognosis. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) reportedly improve sarcopenia and cancer cachexia. We tested the hypothesis that BCAA ameliorates HF with cardiac cachexia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats fed a high-salt diet as a model of HF. DS rats fed a low-salt diet were used as a control. BCAA were administered in drinking water from 11weeks of age, when cardiac hypertrophy was established but the cardiac function was preserved. Survival and the cardiac function were monitored, and animals were sacrificed at 21weeks of age and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In HF rats, BCAA treatment decreased the heart rate, preserved the cardiac function, and prolonged survival. BCAA also prevented body weight loss, associated with preservation of the skeletal muscle weight. Moreover, gene expression related to mitochondrial biogenesis and function was increased with BCAA in skeletal muscles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BCAA preserved the body weight and cardiac function and prolonged survival in HF rats. The expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and function in skeletal muscles was increased by BCAA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanada
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. Electronic address: tshioi@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shioi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Tazuke Kofukai Medical Research Institute, Kitano Hospital, 2-4-20 Ohgimachi, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8480, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002100:Cachexia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D020303:Rats, Inbred Dahl; D044843:SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; C486692:Fbxo32 protein, rat; D044843:SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases; C499086:Trim63 protein, rat; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; C546845:mTOR protein, rat; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: Branched-chain amino acids; Cachexia; Heart failure