Impact of ovary-intact menopause in a mouse model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

In this study, we report the first investigation into the impact of ovary-intact menopause in the context of HFpEF. To replicate the human condition as faithfully as possible, vinyl cyclohexene dioxide (VCD) was used to accelerate ovarian failure (AOF) in female mice while leaving the ovaries intact. HFpEF was established using a mouse model that involves two stressors typical in humans: a high-fat diet and hypertension induced from the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, Nω-nitro- l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). In young and middle-aged "old" female mice, AOF alone induced abnormal myocardial strain indicative of early subclinical systolic and diastolic cardiac dysfunction; however, it was not associated with elevations in blood pressure, increased myocyte size, or reduced myocardial microvascular density. Also, a broad panel of measurements that included echocardiography, invasive pressure measurements, histology, and serum hormones, revealed no interaction between AOF and HFpEF. Interestingly, AOF did evoke a higher density of infiltrating cardiac immune cells in both healthy and HFpEF mice, suggestive of pro-inflammatory effects.PMID:38180450 | DOI:10.1152/ajpheart.00733.2023
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Source Type: research