Quality of fat input determines output of kidney and cardiac health and repair, says USF Health study

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA (USF HEALTH)

Quality of fat input determines output of kidney and cardiac health and repair, says USF Health study

Dr. Ganesh Halade’s investigation in how “good’’ fats repair the heart could enhance treatment of cardiovascular disease.

TAMPA, FL (April 11, 2022) – New breakthrough research by a University of South Florida lab team describing how certain fats can harm or repair the heart after injury has been accepted by a journal of the American Physiological Society.

A manuscript by Ganesh Halade, PhD, an associate professor of cardiovascular sciences at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and a researcher in the USF Health Heart Institute, appears  in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, published March 25

Dr. Halade’s research article is titled “Metabolic Transformation of Fat in Obesity Determines the Inflammation Resolving Capacity of Splenocardiac and Cardiorenal Networks in Heart Failure.’’

A key message of the manuscript is how a certain type of healthy fat known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – which is present in Omega-3 fish oil, as found in salmon and tuna – works in tandem with enzymes from the spleen to clear the inflammation in a damaged heart. The spleen plays an important role because it sends immune cells with bags of healthy fat that operates cardiac repair after major injury such as a heart attack.

“So the fat intake needs to be of optimal quality and used by the right enzyme of immune cells,’’ Dr. Halade said. “This is all about cardiac repair and the inflammation clearing molecules (resolution mediators) involved in that repair. It’s essential to the resolution process.’’

Another key message is more about prevention and the genesis of cardiovascular disease: How a chronic and surplus dietary intake of safflower oil (SO, omega-6) can lead to residual inflammation of spleen, kidney, heart, and biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory mediators after an ischemic event. SO is a type of fat commonly used in processed and fast foods that drives chronic inflammation.

“The big question for most people is whether a fat is good or bad, or is omega-3 helpful for heart health?’’ Dr. Halade said. “Everyone is dealing with this question. We’re thinking beyond that by looking at how fat is used in the body after a heart attack and in what forms.’’

“All fats are not created equal,’’ he added, “and despite the extensive literature, the effect of fat intake is the most debated question in obesity, cardiovascular, and cardiorenal research.’’

In his research, Dr. Halade and his team put 100 mice on a 12-week diet of processed (SO) foods to develop residual inflammation and then 50 mice randomized on a primarily DHA-enriched diet for next eight weeks before subjecting to ischemic surgery in mice.

The team made sure both diets had same quantity of calorie per gram of diet. The surplus and chronic intake of SO increased inflammation along with a dysfunctional cardiorenal network. In contrast, DHA increased survival following such heart damage (heart attack).

A result of the study was that the alignment of immune cell enzymes from the spleen and DHA fats are essential to cardiac repair. These so-called “resolution mediators (a family of specialized pro-resolving mediators) is the body’s natural defense process without a negative impact on the body’s physiological response,’’ Dr. Halade said.