Differential effects of heptanoate and hexanoate on myocardial citric acid cycle intermediates following ischemia-reperfusion

Departments of 1 Physiology and Biophysics and 2 Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio Submitted 4 March 2005 ; accepted in final form 30 August 2005 In the normal heart, there is loss of citric acid cycle (CAC) intermediates that is matched by the entry of intermediates from outside the cycle, a process termed anaplerosis. Previous in vitro studies suggest that supplementation with anaplerotic substrates improves cardiac function during myocardial ischemia and/or reperfusion. The present investigation assessed whether treatment with the anaplerotic medium-chain fatty acid heptanoate improves contractile function during ischemia and reperfusion. The left anterior descending coronary artery of anesthetized pigs was subjected to 60 min of 60% flow reduction and 30 min of reperfusion. Three treatment groups were studied: saline control, heptanoate (0.4 mM), or hexanoate as a negative control (0.4 mM). Treatment was initiated after 30 min of ischemia and continued through reperfusion. Myocardial CAC intermediate content was not affected by ischemia-reperfusion; however, treatment with heptanoate resulted in a more than twofold increase in fumarate and malate, with no change in citrate and succinate, while treatment with hexanoate did not increase fumarate or malate but increased succinate by 1.8-fold. There were no differences among groups in lactate exchange, glucose oxidation, oxygen consumption, and contractile power. In conclusion, despite a significant increase in the content of carbon-4 CAC intermediates, treatment with heptanoate did not result in improved mechanical function of the heart in this model of reversible ischemia-reperfusion. This suggests that reduced anaplerosis and CAC dysfunction do not play a major role in contractile and metabolic derangements observed with a 60% decrease in coronary flow followed by reperfusion. anaplerosis; fatty acids; heart; metabolism; mitochondria; pyruvate dehydrogenase Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: W. C. Stanley, Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve Univ., 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106–4970 (e-mail: wcs4{at}case.edu )