Effect of obesity reduction on preservation of heart function and attenuation of left ventricular remodeling, oxidative stress and inflammation in obese mice

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an important cardiovascular risk factor. This study tested the effect of obesity reduction on preserving left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and attenuating inflammation, oxidative stress and LV remodeling in obese mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight-week-old C57BL/6 J mice (n=24) were equally divided into control (fed a control diet for 22 weeks), obesity (high-fat diet, 22 weeks), and obese reduction (OR) (high-fat diet, 14 weeks; then control diet, 8 weeks). Animals were sacrificed at post 22-week high-fat diet and the LV myocardium collected. Heart weight, body weight, abdominal-fat weight, total cholesterol level and fasting blood glucose were higher in obesity than in control and OR (all p<0.001). Inflammation measured by mRNA expressions of IL-6, MMP-9, PAI-1 and leptin and protein expression of NF-κB was higher, whereas anti-inflammation measured by mRNA expressions of adiponectin and INF-γ was lower in obesity than in control and OR (all p<0.003). Oxidative protein expressions of NOX-1, NOX-2 and oxidized protein were higher, whereas expression of anti-oxidant markers HO-1 and NQO-1 were lower (all p<0.01); and apoptosis measured by Bax and caspase 3 was higher, whereas anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was lower in obesity as compared with control and OR (all p<0.001). The expressions of fibrotic markers phosphorylated Smad3 and TGF-β were higher, whereas expression of anti-fibrotic phosphorylated Smad1/5 and BMP-2 were lower (all p<0.02); and LVEF was lower, whereas the LV remodeling was higher in obesity than in control and OR (all p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Impaired LVEF, enhanced LV remodeling, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and apoptosis were reversed by reduction in mouse obesity.