title: Myocardial Structural and Biological Anomalies Induced by High Fat Diet in Psammomys obesus Gerbils.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psammomys obesus gerbils are particularly prone to develop diabetes and obesity after brief period of abundant food intake. A hypercaloric high fat diet has been shown to affect cardiac function. Here, we sought to determine whether a short period of high fat feeding might alter myocardial structure and expression of calcium handling proteins in this particular strain of gerbils.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Psammomys obesus gerbils were randomly assigned to receive a normal plant diet (controls) or a high fat diet. At baseline and 16-week later, body weight, plasma biochemical parameters (including lipid and carbohydrate levels) were evaluated. Myocardial samples were collected for pathobiological evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen-week high fat dieting resulted in body weight gain and hyperlipidemia, while levels of carbohydrates remained unchanged. At myocardial level, high fat diet induced structural disorganization, including cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, lipid accumulation, interstitial and perivascular fibrosis and increased number of infiltrating neutrophils. Myocardial expressions of pro-apoptotic Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio, pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α], intercellular (ICAM1) and vascular adhesion molecules (VCAM1) increased, while gene encoding cardiac muscle protein, the alpha myosin heavy polypeptide (MYH6), was downregulated. Myocardial expressions of sarco(endo)plasmic calcium-ATPase (SERCA2) and voltage-dependent calcium channel (Cacna1c) decreased, while protein kinase A (PKA) and calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK2D) expressions increased. Myocardial expressions of ryanodine receptor, phospholamban and sodium/calcium exchanger (Slc8a1) did not change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that a relative short period of high fat diet in Psammomys obesus results in severe alterations of cardiac structure, activation of inflammatory and apoptotic processes, and altered expression of calcium-cycling determinants.
authors: Laboratory of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.|Team of Cellular and Molecular Physiopathology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Houari Boumediene University of Sciences and Technology, El Alia, Algiers, Algeria.
authors: Abdelhamid
authors: A
authors: Sahraoui
authors: Laboratory of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Céline
authors: C
authors: Dewachter
authors: Laboratory of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Geoffrey
authors: G
authors: de Medina
authors: Laboratory of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Naeije
authors: Team of Cellular and Molecular Physiopathology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Houari Boumediene University of Sciences and Technology, El Alia, Algiers, Algeria.
authors: Souhila
authors: S
authors: Aouichat Bouguerra
authors: Laboratory of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Dewachter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053498:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D004041:Dietary Fats; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D053498:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains