title: A high-sugar and high-fat diet impairs cardiac systolic and diastolic function in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by dyspnea, fatigue, exercise intolerance and cardiac dysfunction. Unhealthy diet has been associated with increased risk of obesity and heart disease, but whether it directly affects cardiac function, and promotes the development and progression of HF is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We fed 8-week old male or female CD-1 mice with a standard diet (SD) or a diet rich in saturated fat and sugar, resembling a "Western" diet (WD). Cardiac systolic and diastolic function was measured at baseline and 4 and 8 weeks by Doppler echocardiography, and left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure (EDP) by cardiac catheterization prior to sacrifice. An additional group of mice received WD for 4 weeks followed by SD (wash-out) for 8 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WD-fed mice experienced a significant decreased in LV ejection fraction (LVEF), reflecting impaired systolic function, and a significant increase in isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), myocardial performance index (MPI), and LVEDP, showing impaired diastolic function, without any sex-related differences. Switching to a SD after 4 weeks of WD partially reversed the cardiac systolic and diastolic dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A diet rich in saturated fat and sugars (WD) impairs cardiac systolic and diastolic function in the mouse. Further studies are required to define the mechanism through which diet affects cardiac function, and whether dietary interventions can be used in patients with, or at risk for, HF.
authors.affiliation: VCU Pauley Heart Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: scarbone@vcu.edu.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: VCU Pauley Heart Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Adolfo G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.affiliation: Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mezzaroma
authors.affiliation: VCU Pauley Heart Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Donatas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kraskauskas
authors.affiliation: VCU Pauley Heart Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buzzetti
authors.affiliation: Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Benjamin W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Van Tassell
authors.affiliation: VCU Pauley Heart Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.affiliation: VCU Pauley Heart Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toldo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose
keywords: Diastolic dysfunction; Heart failure preserved ejection fraction; High-fat diet; High-sugar diet; Obesity; Western diet