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Horm Metab Res 2015; 47(07): 509-515
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1387761
Endocrine Care
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Increased Gene Expression of the Cardiac Endothelin System in Obese Mice

R. A. Catar   *
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
2   Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
,
G. Muller   *
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
3   GWT-TUD GmbH, Dresden, Germany
,
A. Brandt
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
4   Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
H. Langbein
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
C. Brunssen
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
C. Goettsch
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
5   Department of Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolic Bone Diseases, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
6   Department of Medicine, Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
,
A. Frenzel
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
A. Hofmann
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
W. Goettsch
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
N. Steinbronn
4   Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
R. H. Strasser
4   Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
U. Schubert
7   Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
B. Ludwig
7   Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
S. R. Bornstein
7   Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
H. Morawietz
1   Department of Medicine III, Division of Vascular Endothelium and Microcirculation, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 17 June 2014

accepted 05 August 2014

Publication Date:
02 September 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Obesity is a well-known risk factor of atherosclerosis and heart failure. In the human heart, a local endothelin system containing prepro-endothelin-1, endothelin-converting enzyme-1, and endothelin receptors A and B has been described. The endothelin system is activated in heart failure; however, the impact of obesity on the cardiac endothelin system is unknown. In this study, 18-week-old male C57BL/6 mice fed either a control diet or a high-fat diet for 10 weeks were analyzed. High-fat diet significantly increased the body weight of the animals and augmented low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and cholesterol plasma levels, compared to control. The animal groups showed no significant differences in left ventricular size or function (heart rate, ejection fraction, fractional shortening, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, cardiac output) after control or high-fat diet. We did not observe signs of cardiac hypertrophy or changes in markers of cardiac fibrosis in these heart samples. The cardiac expression of prepro-endothelin-1 mRNA, endothelin-converting enzyme-1 mRNA, and protein and endothelin receptors A and B mRNA was increased in 18-week-old obese C57BL/6 mice compared to animals with normal weight (p<0.05 vs. control). Furthermore, endothelin-1 plasma levels showed an increasing trend. In conclusion, an increased expression of genes of the endothelin system was observed in the hearts of 18-week-old mice after high-fat diet, possibly contributing to later cardiovascular complications of obesity.

Key words

atherosclerosis - body weight - cholesterol - LDL cholesterol - obesity

* Both first authors contributed equally to this study.


 

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