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Quantitative Assessment of GLUT4 Gene Expression in Human Atrial Myocardium: An Experimental Study on the Effects of Ischemia
- Abstract
- Ischemic heart disease is still the main cause of death in the western hemisphere despite considerable improvement of primary and secondary prevention, diagnostic techniques and treatment during the recent years. Like hypertension and dyslipidemia, dysfunctional glucose metabolism contributes largely to cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Ample epidemiologic and clinical evidence suggests that these cardiovascular disease risk factors tend to cluster within individuals with even mild disturbances in glucose metabolism (glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, insulin secretion). In this context, comparatively little is known about insulin-dependent trans-membrane glucose transport in human heart. The investigation of insulin-dependent trans-membrane glucose transport (via GLUT4) and its implications on CHD as well as on ischemia, hence, appears to be of high priority in thwarding coronary death.
While it has been shown by a number of authors that in experimental/clinical diabetes, hypertension and related disorders, GLUT4-gene expression is altered, GLUT4-gene expression in coronary/ischemic heart disease has not been looked at as yet. Hence, it has remained unknown, whether or not ischemia, like DM and hypertension can be related to altered GLUT4 gene expression.
The present project is designed to study GLUT4-gene expression under ischemic conditions using an apropriate experimental chamber various techniques of experimental ischemia and RT (real-time) - GLUT4-PCR (Light Cycler). We wish to see whether or not there is a difference in GLUT4-gene expression in patients with and without coronary heart disease under ischemic conditions.
We expect to learn from these results whether or not ischemic myocardial tissue from patients with and without CHD shows altered pattern of GLUT4-gene expression in order to improve understanding of ischemic glucose metabolism.
From our experiments, we expect to learn about insulin dependent myocardial transmembrane glucose transport both in ischemic heart disease. In the long run, our results may provide new approaches in primary prevention as well as in direct myocardial tissue protection.
- Project Leader:
- Gasser Robert
- Duration:
- 01.01.2006-31.12.2006
- Type of Research
- applied research
- MUG Research Units
- Division of Cardiology