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Myocardial leptin transcription in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Sonja Fonfara1, Sarah Kitz2, Udo Hetzel3
1Companion Animal Studies, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, United Kingdom; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014, Finland.
Insights
Leptin is present in cat heart tissue and its levels change with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and atrial thrombus (AT). This suggests leptin may play a role in feline cardiac remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Cardiology
- Molecular Biology
- Feline Medicine
Background:
- Leptin, an adipokine, is implicated in human cardiac disease, affecting myocardial remodeling and thrombus formation.
- The role of leptin in feline cardiac diseases, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and atrial thrombus (AT), remains uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if leptin is transcribed in the feline myocardium.
- To compare myocardial leptin mRNA concentrations in cats with HCM (with and without AT) and healthy controls.
- To correlate leptin mRNA levels with cytokines and remodeling parameters.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR was used to measure leptin mRNA expression in myocardial samples.
- Samples were obtained from 15 cats with HCM and 12 cats without cardiac disease.
- Leptin mRNA levels were correlated with those of cytokines and remodeling markers.
Main Results:
- Leptin mRNA was detected in all feline heart regions, with higher levels in atria than ventricles.
- Cats with HCM showed increased atrial and ventricular leptin mRNA compared to controls.
- Ventricular leptin mRNA was reduced in cats with HCM and AT.
- A positive correlation was found between leptin, cytokine, and remodeling marker mRNA levels.
Conclusions:
- Leptin is constitutively transcribed in the feline myocardium.
- Leptin mRNA levels vary in feline cardiac disease, increasing with HCM and decreasing with AT.
- Leptin may be involved in the cardiac remodeling process in cats.
Abstract:
Leptin is an adipokine, which is in humans with cardiac disease suspected to be involved in myocardial remodeling and thrombus formation. In cats, however, it is not known whether leptin plays a role in cardiac disease, i.e. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and the presence of an atrial thrombus (AT). The objective of the study was therefore to establish whether leptin is transcribed in the feline myocardium and to compare myocardial leptin mRNA concentrations in cats with HCM with and without AT, and in cats without cardiac diseases. Myocardial samples from 15 cats with HCM (five of these with AT), and 12 cats without cardiac diseases were investigated for leptin mRNA expression using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR, and the transcription levels were correlated with those obtained for a range of cytokines and remodeling parameters. Leptin mRNA expression was detected in the myocardium in all heart regions, with generally higher concentrations in the atria than in the ventricles. Cats with HCM exhibited higher atria and ventricular leptin transcription than cats without cardiac diseases, but reduced ventricular transcription levels in the presence of AT. A positive correlation between leptin, cytokine and remodeling marker transcription levels was observed. The present study shows that leptin is constitutively transcribed in the feline myocardium. The observed increase in leptin mRNA concentrations in the myocardium from cats with HCM and the reduction when an AT is present suggests varying gene activation in different stages of the disease and a potential involvement of leptin in the feline cardiac remodeling process.
