Nifedipine increases energy expenditure by increasing PGC-1α expression in skeletal muscle

Hypertens Res. 2011 Nov;34(11):1221-7. doi: 10.1038/hr.2011.129. Epub 2011 Aug 4.

Abstract

Nifedipine, an L-type calcium (Ca) channel blocker, is one of the most widely used Ca channel-blocking medications for hypertension. Previous studies have reported an association of nifedipine hypertensive treatment with decreased body weight in obese hypertensive humans and rat models. However, the precise mechanism underlying how nifedipine functions metabolically has not been elucidated. Here, we investigated the long-term effect of a non-hypotensive nifedipine dose using a mildly obese, endothelial NO synthase-deficient mouse model. Treating these mice with nifedipine decreased their body weight gain ratio, and white adipose tissue weight compared with the untreated controls. Metabolic analyses indicated that nifedipine treatment upregulated whole-body energy expenditure through increasing oxygen consumption and reducing the respiratory exchange ratio, suggesting that nifedipine promotes lipid oxidation rather than carbohydrate utilization. Furthermore, nifedipine treatment upregulated the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator -1α (PGC-1α) in skeletal muscle. Overall, these results suggest that a non-hypotensive dose of nifedipine has pleiotropic effects on energy expenditure that could ameliorate obesity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / drug effects
  • Adipose Tissue / physiology
  • Animals
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / pharmacology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Energy Metabolism / drug effects*
  • Energy Metabolism / physiology
  • Lipid Metabolism / drug effects
  • Lipid Metabolism / physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Nifedipine / pharmacology*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / deficiency
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / genetics
  • Obesity / metabolism*
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Obesity / prevention & control
  • Oxygen Consumption / drug effects
  • Oxygen Consumption / physiology
  • Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors
  • Weight Gain / drug effects
  • Weight Gain / physiology

Substances

  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha
  • Ppargc1a protein, mouse
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
  • Nifedipine