Exposure to rosiglitazone, a PPAR-γ agonist, in late gestation reduces the abundance of factors regulating cardiac metabolism and cardiomyocyte size in the sheep fetus.

ABSTRACT: It is unknown whether cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the transition to fatty acid oxidation as the main source of energy after birth is dependent on the maturation of the cardiomyocytes' metabolic system, or on the limitation of substrate availability before birth. This study aimed to investigate whether intrafetal administration of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) agonist, rosiglitazone, during late gestation can stimulate the expression of factors regulating cardiac growth and metabolism in preparation for birth, and the consequences of cardiac contractility in the fetal sheep at ∼140 days gestation. The mRNA expression and protein abundance of key factors regulating growth and metabolism were quantified using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectiv

SUBMITTER: Lie S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3949109 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature