This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The general goal of these studies (R01DK002700) are designed to determine how fatty acids (FFA) stimulate beta-cell compensation early in obesity and yet cause dysfunction and death of compensated beta-cells and NIDDM late in obesity. We are also interested in the direct effects of FFA on remote tissues; particularly how stored triglycerides impact cardiac function. The goal of this recent study was to develop and validate proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) as an in vivo tool to measure myocardial lipid content. Complementary studies in rat tissue ex vivo and in 15 healthy humans in vivo provided evidence that 1H MRS constitutes a reproducible technique for the measurement of myocardial triglyceride. In myocardial tissue from Zucker rats, the 1H MRS measurement of triglyceride matched that obtained by biochemical measurement (P 0.001). In human subjects triglyceride was evident in the hearts of even the very lean individuals and was elevated in overweight and obese subjects. Increased myocardial triglyceride content was accompanied by elevated LV mass and suppressed septal wall thickening as measured by cardiac imaging.
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