S. Bujo, H. Toko, K. Ito, S. Koyama, M. Ishizuka, M. Umei, H. Yanagisawa-Murakami, J. Guo, B. Zhai, C. Zhao, R. Kishikawa, N. Takeda, K. Tsushima, Y. Ikeda, E. Takimoto, H. Morita, M. Harada, et al. (2023). Low-carbohydrate diets containing plant-derived fat but not animal-derived fat ameliorate heart failure. Scientific reports, 13(1), 3987. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30821-7

PubMed 36894670

[Abstract]
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global health burden in the world. Although low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) have beneficial effects on CVD risk, their preventive effects remain elusive. We investigated whether LCDs ameliorate heart failure (HF) using a murine model of pressure overload. LCD with plant-derived fat (LCD-P) ameliorated HF progression, whereas LCD with animal-derived fat (LCD-A) aggravated inflammation and cardiac dysfunction. In the hearts of LCD-P-fed mice but not LCD-A, fatty acid oxidation-related genes were highly expressed, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), which regulates lipid metabolism and inflammation, was activated. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments indicated the critical roles of PPARα in preventing HF progression. Stearic acid, which was more abundant in the serum and heart of LCD-P-fed mice, activated PPARα in cultured cardiomyocytes. We highlight the importance of fat sources substituted for reduced carbohydrates in LCDs and suggest that the LCD-P-stearic acid-PPARα pathway as a therapeutic target for HF.