Myocardial autophagy activation and suppressed survival signaling is associated with insulin resistance in fructose-fed mice

Abstract

Fructose intake is linked with the increasing prevalence of insulin resistance and there is now evidence for a specific insulin-resistant cardiomyopathy. The aim of this study was to determine the cardiac-specific myocardial remodeling effects of high fructose dietary intake. Given the links between insulin signaling, reactive oxygen species generation and autophagy induction, we hypothesized that autophagy contributes to pathologic remodeling in the insulin-resistant heart, and in particular may be a feature of high fructose diet-induced cardiac phenotype. Male C57Bl/6 mice were fed a high fructose (60%) diet or nutrient-matched control diet for 12 weeks. Systemic and myocardial insulin-res..