Metabolic gene remodeling and mitochondrial dysfunction in failing right ventricular hypertrophy secondary to pulmonary arterial hypertension

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is the most frequent cause of death in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Whereas abnormal energy substrate utilization has been implicated in the development of chronic left heart failure, data describing such metabolic remodeling in RVD remain incomplete. Thus, we sought to characterize metabolic gene expression changes and mitochondrial dysfunction in functional and dysfunctional RV hypertrophy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two different rat models of RV hypertrophy were studied. The model of RVD (SU5416/hypoxia) exhibited a significantly decreased gene expression of PPAR-gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α), PPAR-α and ERR-α. The expression of multiple PCG-1α target genes required for fatty acid oxidation (FAO) was similarly decreased. Decreased PGC-1α expression was also associated with a net loss of mitochondrial protein and oxidative capacity. Reduced mitochondrial number was associated with a downregulation of TFAM and other genes required for mitochondrial biogenesis. Electron microscopy demonstrated that in RVD tissue, mitochondria had abnormal shape and size. Lastly, respirometric analysis demonstrated that mitochondria isolated from RVD-tissue had a significantly reduced ADP-stimulated (state 3) rate for complex I. Conversely, functional RV hypertrophy in the pulmonary artery banding (PAB) model showed normal expression of PGC-1α, whereas the expression of FAO genes was either preserved or unregulated. Moreover, PAB-RV tissue exhibited preserved TFAM expression and mitochondrial respiration despite elevated RV pressure-overload. CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricular dysfunction, but not functional RV hypertrophy in rats, demonstrates a gene expression profile compatible with a multilevel impairment of fatty acid metabolism and significant mitochondrial dysfunction, partially independent of chronic pressure-overload