Exercise of obese mice induces cardioprotection and oxygen sparing in hearts exposed to high-fat load

Exercise training is a potent therapeutic approach in obesity and diabetes that exerts protective effects against the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and ischemic injury. Acute increases in circulating fatty acids (FAs) during an ischemic insult can challenge the heart, since high FA load is considered to have adverse cardiac effects. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that exercise-induced cardiac effects in diet-induced obese mice are abrogated by an acute high FA load. Diet-induced obese mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 20 wk. They were exercised using moderate- and/or high-intensity exercise training (MIT and HIT, respectively) for 10 or 3 wk, and isolated perfused hearts from these mice were exposed to a high FA load. Sedentary HFD mice served as controls. Ventricular function and myocardial O₂ consumption were assessed after 10 wk of HIT and MIT, and postischemic functional recovery and infarct size were examined after 3 wk of HIT. In addition to improving aerobic capacity and reducing obesity and insulin resistance, long-term exercise ameliorated the development of diet-induced cardiac dysfunction. This was associated with improved mechanical efficiency because of reduced myocardial oxygen consumption. Although to a lesser extent, 3-wk HIT also increased aerobic capacity and decreased obesity and insulin resistance. HIT also improved postischemic functional recovery and reduced infarct size. Event upon the exposure to a high FA load, short-term exercise induced an oxygen-sparing effect. This study therefore shows that exercise-induced cardioprotective effects are present under hyperlipidemic conditions and highlights the important role of myocardial energetics during ischemic stress.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The exercise-induced cardioprotective effects in obese hearts are present under hyperlipidemic conditions, comparable to circulating levels of FA occurring with an ischemic insult. Myocardial oxygen sparing is associated with this effect, despite the general notion that high fat can decrease cardiac efficiency. This highlights the role of myocardial energetics during ischemic stress.