Michael Samuel Dodd1,2, Daniel Ball1,
Marie A. Schroeder1, Helen J. Atherton1, Lydia Le Page1,
George K. Radda1, Houman Ashrafian2, Hugh Watkins2,
Kieran Clarke1, Damian J. Tyler1
1Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics,
Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom; 2Cardiovascular
Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) display hypertension, insulin resistance and concentric hypertrophy. There is hypothesised to be a switch to a glycolytic phenotype in SHRs. Using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopy, via dynamic nuclear polarization, the metabolism of [1-13C] and [2-13C]pyruvate was observed. This showed a 63% increase in PDH flux in SHRs and an increase in label incorporation into acetylcarnitine and glutmate pools, which is proportional to the increase in PDH flux. No classical switch to a glycolytic phenotype was observed, as flux into lactate remained unchanged between groups. However, an increased reliance on glucose oxidation through PDH, was observed.