Grant: Project Grant

Many reports have established a correlation between obesity and cardiovascular complications such as heart failure. A causative role of obesity, and the accompanying diabetes, is well known. Heart failure is a progressive problem which occurs due to changes in the structure and function of the heart, yet the precise mechanisms responsible for regulating these changes in obesity remain to be determined. Given the escalation in the occurrence of obesity it is imperative to focus on understanding the mechanisms linking excess fat tissue to alterations in the structure and function of the heart to help prevent heart failure and potentially enhance our understanding of how to protect against progression of heart failure. This project will focus on the role played by a fascinating substance (adiponectin) released from fat cells. Upon release, adiponectin can travel in the bloodstream and have effects in other places, including the heart. The amount of adiponectin circulating in the blood decreases in obese individuals. Currently there is great excitement in the pharmaceutical industry about the therapeutic potential of adiponectin based drugs. In this project we will test the effects of a new drug that acts as an adiponectin receptor stimulator. We will test it's ability to treat heart failure in mouse models. And we will examine how it works.