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Sex-Linked Differences in Cardiac Atrophy After Mechanical Unloading Induced by Heterotopic Heart Transplantation
D M Kolesár1, P Kujal, I Mrázová
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. dushan.michael.kolesar@ikem.cz.
Physiological Research
|March 11, 2024
Summary
Female rats exhibit reduced cardiac atrophy following heart unloading compared to males. This sex-linked difference is not influenced by sex hormones, as gonadectomy did not alter the atrophy process in either sex.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Endocrinology
- Organ Transplantation
Background:
- Unloading-induced cardiac atrophy is a significant concern, yet sex-related differences remain poorly understood.
- Investigating these differences can reveal novel therapeutic targets for heart conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the progression of unloading-induced cardiac atrophy in intact male and female rats.
- To determine the influence of sex hormones on cardiac atrophy by examining gonadectomized animals.
Main Methods:
- Heterotopic heart transplantation (HTx) was employed to model heart unloading in rats.
- Cardiac atrophy was quantified by comparing heterotopic heart weight (HW) to native HW at 7 and 14 days post-HTx.
- Gonadectomy was performed 28 days prior to HTx in separate experimental groups.
Main Results:
- Intact male rats showed significantly greater decreases in HW due to HTx compared to intact females.
- Gonadectomy did not significantly affect HW, left ventricle (LV), or right ventricle (RV) weight loss in either sex.
- The pattern of atrophy in LV and RV mirrored that of the whole heart.
Conclusions:
- Female rats demonstrate a reduced susceptibility to unloading-induced cardiac atrophy compared to males.
- Sex-linked differences in cardiac atrophy development are independent of sex hormone activity.
- These findings suggest non-hormonal factors mediate sex differences in cardiac adaptation to unloading.
