scholarly journals A Preclinical Rat Model of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction With Multiple Comorbidities

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Géraldine Hubesch ◽  
Aliénor Hanthazi ◽  
Angela Acheampong ◽  
Laura Chomette ◽  
Hélène Lasolle ◽  
...  

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a common complex clinical syndrome for which there are currently few evidence-based therapies. As patients with HFpEF very often present with comorbidities comprising the metabolic syndrome, we hypothesized, that metabolic syndrome could lead over time to the development of diastolic dysfunction and HFpEF. Obesity-prone rats were exposed to high-fat diet and compared to obesity-resistant rats fed with standard chow. Phenotyping of metabolic syndrome, associated with echocardiographic and cardiac hemodynamic measurements, was performed after 4 and 12 months. Blood and myocardial tissue sampling were performed for pathobiological evaluation. High-fat diet in obesity-prone rats elicited metabolic syndrome, characterized by increased body and abdominal fat weights, glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia, as well as increased left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure (after 12 months). This was associated with LV diastolic dysfunction (assessed by increased LV end-diastolic pressure) and pulmonary hypertension (assessed by increased right ventricular systolic pressure). Echocardiography revealed significant concentric LV hypertrophy, while LV ejection fraction was preserved. LV remodeling was associated with cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, as well as myocardial and perivascular fibrosis. Circulating levels of soluble ST2 (the interleukin-1 receptor-like) markedly increased in rats with HFpEF, while plasma NT-proBNP levels decreased. RNA-sequencing analysis identified clusters of genes implicated in fatty acid metabolism and calcium-dependent contraction as upregulated pathways in the myocardium of rats with HFpEF. High-fat diet during 12 months in obesity-prone rats led to the development of a relevant preclinical model of HFpEF with multiple comorbidities, suitable for investigating novel therapeutic interventions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1543-1558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longfei Wang ◽  
Gunner Halliday ◽  
Joshua R. Huot ◽  
Taijyu Satoh ◽  
Jeffrey J. Baust ◽  
...  

Objective: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left heart disease (group 2), especially in the setting of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), is the most common cause of PH worldwide; however, at present, there is no proven effective therapy available for its treatment. PH-HFpEF is associated with insulin resistance and features of metabolic syndrome. The stable prostacyclin analog, treprostinil, is an effective and widely used Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. While the effect of treprostinil on metabolic syndrome is unknown, a recent study suggests that the prostacyclin analog beraprost can improve glucose intolerance and insulin sensitivity. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of treprostinil in the treatment of metabolic syndrome-associated PH-HFpEF. Approach and Results: Treprostinil treatment was given to mice with mild metabolic syndrome-associated PH-HFpEF induced by high-fat diet and to SU5416/obese ZSF1 rats, a model created by the treatment of rats with a more profound metabolic syndrome due to double leptin receptor defect (obese ZSF1) with a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor blocker SU5416. In high-fat diet-exposed mice, chronic treatment with treprostinil reduced hyperglycemia and pulmonary hypertension. In SU5416/Obese ZSF1 rats, treprostinil improved hyperglycemia with similar efficacy to that of metformin (a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus); the glucose-lowering effect of treprostinil was further potentiated by the combined treatment with metformin. Early treatment with treprostinil in SU5416/Obese ZSF1 rats lowered pulmonary pressures, and a late treatment with treprostinil together with metformin improved pulmonary artery acceleration time to ejection time ratio and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion with AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) activation in skeletal muscle and the right ventricle. Conclusions: Our data suggest a potential use of treprostinil as an early treatment for mild metabolic syndrome-associated PH-HFpEF and that combined treatment with treprostinil and metformin may improve hyperglycemia and cardiac function in a more severe disease.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 613-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisha Gohar ◽  
Rogier F Kievit ◽  
Gideon B Valstar ◽  
Arno W Hoes ◽  
Evelien E Van Riet ◽  
...  

Background The prevalence of undetected left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is high, especially in the elderly with comorbidities. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is a prognostic indicator of heart failure, in particularly of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and of future cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Therefore we aimed to develop sex-specific diagnostic models to enable the early identification of men and women at high-risk of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with or without symptoms of heart failure who require more aggressive preventative strategies. Design Individual patient data from four primary care heart failure-screening studies were analysed (1371 participants, excluding patients classified as heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction <50%). Methods Eleven candidate predictors were entered into logistic regression models to be associated with the presence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction/heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in men and women separately. Internal-external cross-validation was performed to develop and validate the models. Results Increased age and β-blocker therapy remained as predictors in both the models for men and women. The model for men additionally consisted of increased body mass index, moderate to severe shortness of breath, increased pulse pressure and history of ischaemic heart disease. The models performed moderately and similarly well in men (c-statistics range 0.60–0.75) and women (c-statistics range 0.51–0.76) and the performance improved significantly following the addition of N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (c-statistics range 0.61–0.80 in women and 0.68–0.80 in men). Conclusions We provide an easy-to-use screening tool for use in the community, which can improve the early detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction/heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in high-risk men and women and optimise tailoring of preventive interventions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michinari Hieda ◽  
Erin Howden ◽  
Shigeki Shibata ◽  
Takashi Tarumi ◽  
Justin Lawley ◽  
...  

The beat-to-beat dynamic Starling mechanism (DSM), the dynamic modulation of stroke volume (SV) because of breath-by-breath changes in left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), reflects ventricular-arterial coupling. The purpose of this study was to test whether the LVEDP-SV relationship remained impaired in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients after normalization of LVEDP. Right heart catheterization and model-flow analysis of the arterial pressure waveform were performed while preload was manipulated using lower-body negative pressure to alter LVEDP. The DSM was compared at similar levels of LVEDP between HFpEF patients ( n = 10) and age-matched healthy controls ( n = 12) (HFpEF vs. controls: 10.9 ± 3.8 vs. 11.2 ± 1.3 mmHg, P = 1.00). Transfer function analysis between diastolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAD) representing dynamic changes in LVEDP vs. SV index was applied to obtain gain and coherence of the DSM. The DSM gain was significantly lower in HFpEF patients than in the controls, even at a similar level of LVEDP (0.46 ± 0.19 vs. 0.99 ± 0.39 ml·m−2·mmHg−1, P = 0.0018). Moreover, the power spectral density of PAD, the input variability, was greater in the HFpEF group than the controls (0.75 ± 0.38 vs. 0.28 ± 0.26 mmHg2, P = 0.01). Conversely, the power spectral density of SV index, the output variability, was not different between the groups ( P = 0.97). There was no difference in the coherence, which confirms the reliability of the linear transfer function between the two groups (0.71 ± 0.13 vs. 0.77 ± 0.19, P = 0.87). The DSM gain in HFpEF patients is impaired compared with age-matched controls even at a similar level of LVEDP, which may reflect intrinsic LV diastolic dysfunction and incompetence of ventricular-arterial coupling. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The beat-to-beat dynamic Starling mechanism (DSM), the dynamic modulation of stroke volume because of breath-by-breath changes in left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), reflects ventricular-arterial coupling. Although the DSM gain is impaired in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients, it is not clear whether this is because of higher LVEDP or left-ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The DSM gain in HFpEF patients is severely impaired, even at a similar level of LVEDP, which may reflect intrinsic left-ventricular diastolic dysfunction.


2015 ◽  
Vol 119 (10) ◽  
pp. 1233-1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R. Heinzel ◽  
Felix Hohendanner ◽  
Ge Jin ◽  
Simon Sedej ◽  
Frank Edelmann

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is the most common myocardial structural abnormality associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). LVH is driven by neurohumoral activation, increased mechanical load, and cytokines associated with arterial hypertension, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and other comorbidities. Here we discuss the experimental and clinical evidence that links LVH to diastolic dysfunction and qualifies LVH as one diagnostic marker for HFpEF. Mechanisms leading to diastolic dysfunction in LVH are incompletely understood, but may include extracellular matrix changes, vascular dysfunction, as well as altered cardiomyocyte mechano-elastical properties. Beating cardiomyocytes from HFpEF patients have not yet been studied, but we and others have shown increased Ca2+ turnover and impaired relaxation in cardiomyocytes from hypertrophied hearts. Structural myocardial remodeling can lead to heterogeneity in regional myocardial contractile function, which contributes to diastolic dysfunction in HFpEF. In the clinical setting of patients with compound comorbidities, diastolic dysfunction may occur independently of LVH. This may be one explanation why current approaches to reduce LVH have not been effective to improve symptoms and prognosis in HFpEF. Exercise training, on the other hand, in clinical trials improved exercise tolerance and diastolic function, but did not reduce LVH. Thus current clinical evidence does not support regression of LVH as a surrogate marker for (short-term) improvement of HFpEF.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Chade ◽  
Maxx Williams ◽  
Jason Engel ◽  
Gene Bidwell

Abstract Background and Aims Inflammation contributes to progressive renal dysfunction and increases cardiovascular mortality of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association of CKD and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is observed in up to 50%, suggesting the possibility of a shared pathophysiology. CKD and HFpEF are commonly associated with inflammation. Using a novel swine model of CKD and HFpEF, we propose that a renal-cardio inflammatory axis drives diastolic dysfunction and HFpEF in CKD and that targeting renal inflammation will improve cardiac health and reduce cardiovascular risk. Methods We developed a biopolymer-fused peptide of nuclear-factor kappa (NFk)B (ELP-p50i) that we show it blocks its activity in vitro and in vivo. NFkB is a key pro-inflammatory transcription factor that is upregulated in CKD. To test our hypothesis, we induced CKD in 10 pigs via bilateral renovascular disease and dyslipidemia. Pigs were observed for 6 weeks, renal hemodynamics quantified (multi-detector CT), then randomized to single intra-renal ELP-p50i or placebo (n=5 each), and studies repeated 8 weeks later accompanied by echocardiographic assessment. Blood pressure was continuously measured (telemetry). Blood was collected to measure circulating TNF-α and biomarkers of HF (ANP, BNP). Furthermore, kidneys and hearts were used to quantify expression of factors involved in NFkB signaling. Results CKD led to a significant loss of renal function, accompanied by left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction with pEF, increased renal mRNA expression of TNF-α and canonical and non-canonical mediators of NFkB signaling, and elevated systemic TNF-α, ANP, and BNP, indicating renal and cardiac dysfunction. Most of these changes were improved after intra-renal ELP-p50i, although cardiac inflammatory signaling was unchanged (Figure) suggesting the kidney as a source of inflammation that can target the heart in CKD. Conclusion We show that a renal anti-inflammatory strategy via targeted inhibition of renal NFkB improves renal and cardiac function in CKD, suggesting an inflammatory renal-cardio axis. The translational pathological features of CKD and HFpEF combined with the predictive power of the model may contribute to advance the field towards new treatments targeting renal inflammation to reduce cardiovascular risk in CKD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Chen ◽  
Sadia Ashraf ◽  
Nadia Ashraf ◽  
Romain Harmancey

Background Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, an early stage in the pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, is exacerbated by joint exposure to hypertension and obesity; however, the molecular mechanisms involved remain uncertain. The mitochondrial UCP3 (uncoupling protein 3) is downregulated in the heart with obesity. Here, we used a rat model of UCP3 haploinsufficiency (ucp3 +/‐ ) to test the hypothesis that decreased UCP3 promotes left ventricular diastolic dysfunction during hypertension. Methods and Results Ucp3 +/‐ rats and ucp3 +/+ littermates fed a high‐salt diet (HS; 2% NaCl) and treated with angiotensin II (190 ng/kg per min for 28 days) experienced a similar rise in blood pressure (158±4 versus 155±7 mm Hg). However, UCP3 insufficiency worsened diastolic dysfunction according to echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular filling pressures (E/e’; 18.8±1.0 versus 14.9±0.6; P <0.05) and the isovolumic relaxation time (24.7±0.6 versus 21.3±0.5 ms; P <0.05), as well as invasive monitoring of the diastolic time constant (Tau; 15.5±0.8 versus 12.7±0.2 ms; P <0.05). Exercise tolerance on a treadmill also decreased for HS/angiotensin II‐treated ucp3 +/‐ rats. Histological and molecular analyses further revealed that UCP3 insufficiency accelerated left ventricular concentric remodeling, detrimental interstitial matrix remodeling, and fetal gene reprogramming during hypertension. Moreover, UCP3 insufficiency increased oxidative stress and led to greater impairment of protein kinase G signaling. Conclusions Our findings identified UCP3 insufficiency as a cause for increased incidence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction during hypertension. The results add further support to the use of antioxidants targeting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species as an adjuvant therapy for preventing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in individuals with obesity.


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