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Maternal obesity (MO) has harmful effects on both fetal development and subsequent offspring health. The impact of MO on fetal myocardium development has received little attention. Fibrogenesis is regulated by the transforming growth factor-[beta] (TGF-[beta])/p38 signaling pathway. Using the well-established model of MO in pregnant sheep, we evaluated the effect of MO on TGF-[beta]/p38 and collagen accumulation in fetal myocardium. Nonpregnant ewes were assigned to a control diet [Con, fed 100% of National Research Council (NRC) nutrient recommendations] or obesogenic diet (OB, fed 150% of NRC recommendations) from 60 days before conception. Fetal ventricular muscle was sampled at 75 and 135 days of gestation (dG). At 75 dG, the expression of precursor TGF-[beta] was 39.9 [+ or -] 9.9% higher (P < 0.05) in OB than Confetal myocardium, consistent with the higher content of phosphorylated Smad3 in OB myocardium. The phosphorylation of p38 tended to be higher in OB myocardium (P = 0.08). In addition, enhanced Smad complexes were bound to Smad-binding elements in 75 dG OB fetal myocardium measured by DNA mobility shift assay (130.2 [+ or -] 26.0% higher, P < 0.05). Similar elevation of TGF-[beta] signaling was observed in OB fetal myocardium at 135 dG. Total collagen concentration in OB was greater than Con fetal myocardium (2.42 [+ or -] 0.16 vs. 1.87 [+ or -] 0.04%, P < 0.05). Matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 were higher in the Con group compared with OB sheep (43.86 [+ or -] 16.01 and 37.23 [+ or -] 7.97% respectively, P < 0.05). In summary, MO results in greater fetal heart connective tissue accumulation associated with an upregulated TGF-[beta]/p38 signaling pathway at late gestation; such changes would be expected to negatively impact offspring heart function. collagen; fibrogenesis; transforming growth factor-[beta]; maternal obesity; fetus; myocardium doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00434.2010.

Maternal obesity (MO) is increasing at an alarming rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of MO on fibrogenesis in fetal skeletal muscle during maturation in late gestation. Nonpregnant ewes were assigned to a control diet (Con; fed 100% of NRC nutrient recommendations, n = 6) or obesogenic diet (OB; fed 150% of NRC recommendations, n = 6) from 60 days before conception, and fetal semitendenosus (St) muscle was sampled at 135 days of gestation (term 148 days). Total concentration and area of collagen in cross-sections of muscle increased by 27.0 [+ or -] 6.0 (P < 0.05) and 105.1 [+ or -] 5.9% (P = 0.05) in OB compared with Con fetuses. The expression of precursor TGF-[beta] was 177.3 [+ or -] 47.6% higher, and concentration of phospho-p38 74.7 [+ or -] 23.6% was higher (P < 0.05) in OB than in CON fetal muscle. Increases of 327.9 [+ or -] 168.0 (P < 0.05) and 188.9 [+ or -] 82.1% (P < 0.05), respectively, were observed for mRNA expression of Smad7 and fibronectin in OB compared with Con muscles. In addition, enzymes involved in collagen synthesis, including lysyl oxidase, lysyl hydroxylase 2b, and prolyl 4-hydroxylase-[alpha]1, were increased by 350.2 [+ or -] 90.0 (P < 0.05), 236.5 [+ or -] 25.2 (P < 0.05), and 82.0 [+ or -] 36.2% (P = 0.05), respectively, in OB muscle. In conclusion, MO-enhanced fibrogenesis in fetal muscle in late gestation was associated with upregulation of the TGF-[beta]/p38 signaling pathway. Enhanced fibrogenesis at such an early stage of development is expected to negatively affect the properties of offspring muscle because muscle fibrosis is a hallmark of aging. collagen; maternal obesity; fetus doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00015.2010.

To date, no study has assessed the degree of similarity between left ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling and atrophic remodeling. Stable LV hypertrophy was induced by creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in Lewis rats (32 days). LV unloading was induced by heterotopic transplantation of normal (NL-HT) and/or hypertrophic (AVF-HT) hearts (7 days). We compared indexes of remodeling in AVF, NL-HT, and AVF-HT groups with those of normal controls. LV unloading induced decreases in cardiomyocyte size in NL-HT and AVF-HT hearts. NL-HT and AVF-HT LV were both characterized by relative increases in collagen concentration that were largely a reflection of decreases in myocyte volume. NL-HT and AVF-HT LV were associated with similar increases in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2 and -9) zymographic activity, without change in the abundance of the tissue inhibitors of the MMPs. In contrast, AVF-HT, but not NL-HT, was associated with a dramatic increase in collagen cross-linking. Our findings suggest an overall similarity in the response of the normal and hypertrophic LV to surgical unloading. However, the dramatic increase in collagen cross-linking after just 1 wk of unloading suggests a potential difference in the dynamics of collagen metabolism between the two models. Further studies will be required to determine the precise molecular mechanisms responsible for these differences in extracellular matrix regulation. However, with respect to these and related issues, heterotopic transplantation of hypertrophied hearts will be a useful small animal model for defining mechanisms of myocyte-matrix interactions during decreased loading conditions. myocardial atrophy; reverse remodeling; extracellular matrix; volume overload

Experiments on the rat left ventricular free wall reveal that extracellular matrix (ECM) response and constituent collagen changes are essential components of post-myocardial infarction (MI) myocardium. The left ventricular wall scar exhibits elevated collagen and hydroxylsylpyridinoline (HP) levels after MI. THe HP concentration indicates that covalent cross-linking of collagen fibrils varies regionally in the ECM.

A diet deficient in copper results in altered connective tissue metabolism responsible for lesions in cardiovascular and other organ systems, and affects the structural and functional features of collagen and elastin by causing abnormal collagen and elastin cross-linking. Extensive restructuring of collagen fraction of cardiac interstitium occurs due to Cu deficiency. Cardiac hypertrophy arises due to impaired left ventricular collagen cross-linking, resulting in enhanced compliance of the ventricular wall.

We examined the temporal relationship between messages (type I and type III mRNAs) for the principal fibrillar procollagens and subsequent collagen accretion, cross-linking, and decorin expression in the left ventricle (LV) postmyocardial infarction (post-MI). We sought to determine 1) what role the proteoglycan decorin plays in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling known to take place as a consequence of MI and 2) the extent skeletal muscle ECM is altered early post-MI. Therefore, after surgically induced production of small- to moderate-sized infarcts (~20% of LV mass), extent and time course of ECM remodeling was evaluated in remaining viable LV free wall and in slow- [soleus (SOL)] and fast-twitch [gastrocnemius (GAST)] skeletal muscles. Decorin, collagen, and hydroxylysylpyridinium cross-link concentrations and [Alpha] 1(I) (type I) and [Alpha] 1(III) (type III) procollagen mRNAs were measured in LVs from noninfarcted controls and at 72 h, 1, 2, 5, and 13 wk post-MI. These same data were collected in SOL and GAST muscles at all time points except 13 wk. Type I procollagen mRNA increased at both 72-h and l-wk time points in LVs. Type III procollagen mRNA was elevated at 1 wk, returning to baseline by 2 wk post-MI. Collagen concentration was significantly increased by 1 wk, more than doubled by 5 wk, and was elevated 129% by 13 wk in the remaining viable LV. LV decorin expression was unaltered at early time points, but increased 38% at 5 wk post-MI and doubled by 13 wk post-MI. In skeletal muscle, procollagen mRNAs were transiently altered in SOL and GAST muscles without any demonstrable effect on the measured ECM parameters. This study reports, for the first time, the upregulation time course of decorin and its relationship to increased HP cross-linking and accumulation of collagen in viable myocardium post-MI. cardiac remodeling; collagen cross-linking; procollagen mRNA

Maternal obesity (MO) has harmful effects on both fetal development and subsequent offspring health. The impact of MO on fetal myocardium development has received little attention. Fibrogenesis is regulated by the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/p38 signaling pathway. Using the well-established model of MO in pregnant sheep, we evaluated the effect of MO on TGF-β/p38 and collagen accumulation in fetal myocardiurn. Nonpregnant ewes were assigned to a control diet [Con, fed 100% of National Research Council (NRC) nutrient recommendations or obesogenic diet (OB, fed 150% of NRC recommendations) from 60 days before conception. Fetal ventricular muscle was sampled at 75 and 135 days of gestation (dG). At 75 dG, the expression of precursor TGF-β was 39.9 ± 9.9% higher (P < 0.05) in OB than Con fetal myocardium, consistent with the higher content of phosphorylated Smad3 in OB myocardium. The phosphorylation of p38 tended to be higher in OB myocardium. (P 0.08). In addition, enhanced Smad complexes were bound to Smad-binding elements in 75 dG OB fetal myocardium measured by DNA mobility shift assay (130.2 ± 26.0% higher, P < 0.05). Similar elevation of TGF-β signaling was observed in OB fetal myocardium at 135 dG. Total collagen concentration in OB was greater than Con fetal myocardium (2.42 ± 0.16 vs. 1.87 ± 0.04%, P < 0.05). Matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 were higher in the Con group compared with OB sheep (43.86 ± 16.01 and 37.23 ± 7.97% respectively, P < 0.05). In summary, MO results in greater fetal heart connective tissue accumulation associated with an unregulated TGF-β/p38 sig- naling pathway at late gestation; such changes would be expected to negatively impact offspring heart function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal obesity (MO) is increasing at an alarming rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of MO on fibrogenesis in fetal skeletal muscle during maturation in late gestation. Nonpregnant ewes were assigned to a control diet (Con; fed 100% of NRC nutrient recommendations, n = 6) or obesogenic diet COB: fed 150% of NRC recommendations, n = 6) from 60 days before conception, and fetal semitendenosus (St) muscle was sampled at 135 days of gestation (term 148 days). Total concentration and area of collagen in cross-sections of muscle increased by 27.0 ± 6.0 (P < 0.05) and 105.1 ± 5.9% (P = 0.05) in OB compared with Con fetuses. The expression of precursor TGF-β was 177.3 ± 47.6% higher, and concentration of phospho-p38 74.7 ± 23.6% was higher (P < 0.05) in OB than in CON fetal muscle. Increases of 327.9 ± 168.0 (P < 0.05) and 188.9 ± 82.1% (P < 0.05), respectively, were observed for mRNA expression of Smad7 and fibronectin in OB compared with Con muscles. In addition, enzymes involved in collagen synthesis, including lysyl oxidase, lysyl hydroxylase 2b, and prolyl 4-hydroxylase-α1. were increased by 350.2 ± 90.0 (P < 0.05), 236.5 ± 25.2 (P < 0.05), and 82.0 ± 36.2% (P = 0.05). respectively, in OB muscle. In conclusion, MO-enhanced fibrogenesis in fetal muscle in late gestation was associated with upregulation of the TGF-β/p38 signaling pathway. Enhanced fibrogenesis at such an early stage of development is expected to negatively affect the properties of offspring muscle because muscle fibrosis is a hallmark of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]