Abstract

Hyperuricemia is frequently observed in obese people and rising obesity rates parallel increased consumption of a high-fat/high-fructose western diet (WD). Epidemiologic and clinical data suggest that serum uric acid (UA) is positively associated with serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and may be linked with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and LV diastolic dysfunction. Accordingly, we hypothesized that allopurinol, a potent xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor, would prevent development of LV diastolic dysfunction, independent of blood pressure, by reducing the levels of UA and PTH. Four week-old C57BL6/J male mice were fed a WD and water with 125mg/L allopurinol. After 16 weeks, we assessed levels of UA, XO activity, PTH, as well as diastolic function by cardiac MRI and cardiac ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Body weight and fat composition were obtained along with HOMA -IR testing for insulin resistance. Allopurinol has been show to exert no effect on blood pressure. High resolution cardiac MRI revealed diastolic dysfunction with WD feeding that was prevented by allopurinol (LV diastolic relaxation time 35.3 ms for WD, 25.4 ms for CD and 27.7 ms for WD+ allopurinol, p value <0.01; Initial filling rate 0. 28 μl/ms for WD, 0.43 μl/ms for CD and 0.42 μl/ms for WD+ allopurinol, p value <0.05). Body weight, fat mass, and HOMA-IR were increased by WD feeding but not significantly improved by allopurinol. However, allopurinol markedly decreased the WD-induced increase in heart weight associated with activation of translational S6 kinase. TEM examination of myocardial ultrastructure revealed that WD induced remodeling changes with large mitochondria with disordered cristae and increased lysosomes. The ultrastructural changes were improved with treatment by allopurinol. Furthermore, allopurinol significantly inhibited both of plasma and urine UA levels and cardiac XO activity caused by WD. Interestingly , WD increased PTH levels which were decreased in parallel with reductions in uric acid with allopurinol. These findings support the notion that increased plasma levels of UA, in concert with elevated PTH, may play a key role in LV hypertrophy and associated LV diastolic dysfunction that result from consuming a WD high in fructose and fat.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call