Effects of D-Allose on experimental cardiac hypertrophy

The hallmark of pathological cardiac hypertrophy is the decline in myocardial contractility caused by an energy deficit resulting from metabolic abnormalities, particularly those related to glucose metabolism. Here, we aim to explore whether D-Allose, a rare sugar that utilizes the same transporters as glucose, may restore metabolic equilibrium and reverse cardiac hypertrophy. Isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were stimulated with phenylephrine and treated with D-Allose simultaneously for 48 h. D-Allose treatment resulted in a pronounced reduction in cardiomyocyte size and cardiac remodelling markers accompanied with a dramatic reduction in the level of intracellular glucose in phenylephrine-stimulated cells. The metabolic flux analysis provided further insights revealing that D-Allose exerted a remarkable inhibition of glycolysis as well as glycolytic capacity. Furthermore, in mice subjected to a 14-day continuous infusion of isoproterenol (ISO) to induce cardiac hypertrophy, D-Allose treatment via drinking water notably reduced ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy and remodelling markers, with minimal effects on ventricular wall thickness observed in echocardiographic analyses. These findings indicate that D-Allose has the ability to attenuate the progression of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by decreasing intracellular glucose flux and inhibiting glycolysis.