Josephine Maria Kanta - PhD Scholarship 2022
Project summary:
The effect of medium-chain fatty acids on cardiac function
Impaired cardiac metabolism is a key factor in the pathophysiology of heart failure, with decreased fat oxidation, and a greater reliance on ketone bodies. Consumption of medium-chain fatty acids has the ability to increase fat oxidation and induce ketogenesis. The aim is to investigate if medium-chain fatty acid intake can improve cardiac metabolism and function in patients having heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and investigate underlying molecular mechanisms in mouse models.
Project title
Medium chain fatty acids as dietary tool to improve cardiac metabolism and function in heart failure
Background
Impaired cardiac metabolism is a key factor in the pathophysiology of heart failure. The failing heart have decreased fat oxidation and relies more on ketone bodies. Accordingly, increased ketone body availability is suggested to improve cardiac function. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) have the ability to increase whole-body fat oxidation, induce ketogenesis, and also mediate several metabolic health benefits.
Aim
The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the effect of MCFA intake on heart function in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and investigate underlying metabolic mechanisms in mouse models.
Methods
Participants with HFrEF and healthy age- and BMI-matched individuals with normal heart function as control group will be included in a block-randomized cross-over study. On two experimental days, participants will consume 60g of MCFA oil or longchain fatty acid (LCFA) oil as control. Heart function will be assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging before and following acute intake of MCFA/LCFA, and whole-body metabolism will be investigated. Furthermore, rodent models with heart failure or impaired cardiac fat oxidation will be applied to investigate whether MCFA intake can improve cardiac function and metabolism.
Josephine Maria Kanta
- MSc
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
Main supervisors:
Professor Bente Kiens, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen
Co-supervisor:
Assistant Professor Andreas Mæchel Fritzen, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen
Associate Research Professor Per Lav Madsen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev
Associate Professor Morten Bækgaard Thomsen, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen