Sexual dimorphism in obesity-mediated left ventricular hypertrophy

In the present study we investigated the influence of sex difference on the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) during obesity. Male and female C57BL/6J mice were fed for 15 and 25 wk with a high-fat diet (HFD) or low-fat control diet (LFD). Analysis of body composition, monitoring of body weight (BW), and echocardiographic analysis were performed, as well as analysis of expression of different adipocytokines in epicardial adipose tissue. The increment in left ventricular mass (LVM) after HFD (25 wk) was significantly stronger in male mice compared with female mice [LVM: male, 116.9 +/- 2.9 (LFD) vs. 142.2 +/- 9.3 mg (HFD); female, 84.3 +/- 3.3 (LFD) vs. 93.9 +/- 1.7 mg (HFD), P-sex < 0.01]. In parallel, males developed a higher BW and fat mass after 25 wk HFD than female mice [BW: male, 33 +/- 0.9 (LFD) vs. 53 +/- 0.8 g (HFD); fat mass: male, 8.8 +/- 0.9 (LFD) vs. 22.8 +/- 0.7 g (HFD); BW: female, 22.5 +/- 0.4 (LFD) vs. 33.7 +/- 1.3 g (HFD); fat mass: female, 4.0 +/- 0.2 (LFD) vs. 13.2 +/- 1.2 g (HFD)] (P < 0.01 for BW + fat mass female vs. male). The mRNA expression of adipocytokines in epicardial fat after 25 wk of diet showed higher levels of adiponectin (2.8-fold), leptin (4.2-fold), and vaspin (11.9-fold) in male mice compared with female mice (P < 0.05). To identify new adipose-derived molecular mediators of LVH, we further elucidated the cardiac impact of vaspin. Murine primary cardiac fibroblast proliferation was significantly induced by vaspin (1.8-fold, vaspin 1 mu g/l, P < 0.05 vs. control) compared with 1.9-fold induction by angiotensin II (10 mu M). The present study demonstrates a sex-dependent regulation of diet-induced LVH associated with sexual dimorphic expression of adipocytokines in epicardial adipose tissue.