Expression of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase during heart development in rats and relationship with cardiac hypertrophy

AIM： To investigate the expression of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase during the heart deve-lopment in rats and to analyze the relationship between short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and cardiac hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS：The expression and activity of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase in the hearts of Wistar rats with different ages were measured. Free fatty acids in serum and cardiac muscles were also determined. RESULTS：Compared with the fetal rats of 19 d, the expression and activity of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase in the postnatal rats of 1 d, 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 16 weeks were increased, and free fatty acids in the serum and myocardium were obviously decreased. The difference began in evidence from the age of 2 weeks. The expression of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase was significantly up-regulated with negative correlation to free fatty acids in the serum and myocardium during heart development. Systolic blood pressure was similar in 2-week-old SHR and WKY rats, which significantly increased in SHR of 6 weeks and 16 weeks old compared with the age-matched WKY rats. The ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight was markedly elevated in SHR of 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 16 weeks old compared with the age-matched WKY rats, indicating that the appearance of cardiac hypertrophy occurred before the development of hypertension in SHR. Compared with the age-matched WKY rats, the expression and activity of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase were decreased and free fatty acids in the serum and myocardium were obviously higher in SHR. The expression of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase was significantly down-regulated with a negative correlation to free fatty acids in the serum and myocardium of SHR. CONCLUSION：The expression of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is increased during the heart development, which may be associated with the increase in cardiac fatty acid utilization. The down-regulated expression of short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase in the hypertrophic heart may be responsible for the recapitulation of fetal energy metabolism.