Anti-inflammatory nutrition with high protein attenuates cardiac and skeletal muscle alterations in a pulmonary arterial hypertension model

Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 15;9(1):10160. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-46331-4.

Abstract

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by remodelling of the pulmonary arteries and right ventricle (RV), which leads to functional decline of cardiac and skeletal muscle. This study investigated the effects of a multi-targeted nutritional intervention with extra protein, leucine, fish oil and oligosaccharides on cardiac and skeletal muscle in PAH. PAH was induced in female C57BL/6 mice by weekly injections of monocrotaline (MCT) for 8 weeks. Control diet (sham and MCT group) and isocaloric nutritional intervention (MCT + NI) were administered. Compared to sham, MCT mice increased heart weight by 7%, RV thickness by 13% and fibrosis by 60% (all p < 0.05) and these were attenuated in MCT + NI mice. Microarray and qRT-PCR analysis of RV confirmed effects on fibrotic pathways. Skeletal muscle fiber atrophy was induced (P < 0.05) by 22% in MCT compared to sham mice, but prevented in MCT + NI group. Our findings show that a multi-targeted nutritional intervention attenuated detrimental alterations to both cardiac and skeletal muscle in a mouse model of PAH, which provides directions for future therapeutic strategies targeting functional decline of both tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cardiomegaly / diet therapy
  • Cardiomegaly / physiopathology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Fibrosis / metabolism
  • Heart / physiopathology
  • Heart Ventricles / physiopathology
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / physiopathology
  • Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / diet therapy
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Monocrotaline / pharmacology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / diet therapy*
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / metabolism
  • Pulmonary Artery / pathology
  • Vascular Remodeling / drug effects
  • Ventricular Function, Right

Substances

  • Monocrotaline