Moderate training reduces epicardial fat, and hypertriglyceridemia affects cardiac plexus in APOCIII-TGN mice

Abstract

Hypertriglyceridemia is directly related to the global increase in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This clinical condition can be investigated using animal models with gene and protein alterations in apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII). The cardiac plexus and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) are important cardiac structures with vital roles in the nervous processing of the heart and in providing support and energy for its contraction. This study analyzed the cardiac plexus and the TAE of transgenic (CIII) and non-transgenic (NTG) mice submitted to treadmill exercise training (3 days a week for 40 minutes at 60% of peak speed) for 8 weeks. The CIII animals showed hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia. However, overexpression of apoCIII did not modify glycemia, body and heart mass, and the area of adipocytes in the TAE. However, the neuronal area of the CIII animals was significantly smaller (NTG Sed 193±38 µm2 vs. CIII Sed 161±11 µm2) than that of the non-transgenic animals. With training, the area of TAE adipocytes was smaller, independently of apoCIII expression (NTG Sed 380±60 µm2; CIII Sed 358±58 µm2; NTG Ex 305±52 µm2; CIII Ex 307±57 µm2), but there was no change in neuronal area. It can be concluded that the training groups have a smaller, while the CIII groups have a smaller neuronal area in the cardiac plexus.