UCP3 Ablation Exacerbates High-Salt Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy and Cardiac Dysfunction

Abstract

Background/Aims: Excessive salt intake and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are both critical for the development of hypertension and heart failure. The uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) plays a cardio-protective role in early heart failure development. However, the potential role for UCP3 in salt intake and LVH is unclear. Methods: UCP3^-/- and C57BL/6 mice were placed on either a normal-salt (NS, 0.5%) or a high-salt (HS, 8%) diet for 24 weeks. The cardiac function, endurance capacity, energy expenditure, and mitochondrial functional capacity were measured in each group. Results: Elevated blood pressure was only observed in HS-fed UCP3^-/- mice. High salt induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction were observed in both C57BL/6 and UCP3^-/- mice. However, the cardiac lesions were more profound in HS-fed UCP3^-/- mice. Furthermore, HS-fed UCP3^-/-mice experienced more severe mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction compared with HS-fed C57BL/6 mice, represented by the decreased volume of oxygen consumption and heat production at the whole-body level. Conclusion: UCP3 protein was involved in the incidence of high-salt induced hypertension and the progression of cardiac dysfunction in the early stages of heart failure. UCP3 ablation exacerbated high-salt-induced cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction.