Potential mechanisms and consequences of cardiac triacylglycerol accumulation in insulin-resistant rats

1 Cardiovascular Research Group and Departments of 2 Pediatrics and 3 Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2S2 The accumulation of intracellular triacylglycerol (TG) is highly correlated with muscle insulin resistance. However, it is controversial whether the accumulation of TG is the result of increased fatty acid supply, decreased fatty acid oxidation, or both. Because abnormal fatty acid metabolism is a key contributor to the pathogenesis of diabetes-related cardiovascular dysfunction, we examined fatty acid and glucose metabolism in hearts of insulin-resistant JCR:LA-cp rats. Isolated working hearts from insulin-resistant rats had glycolytic rates that were reduced to 50% of lean control levels ( P