FIGURE 6.

Fatty acid uptake and oxidation, correlation of lipids and heart function, and survival rates. A and B, wild type and transgenic mice (MHC-DGAT1, MHC-ACS, and MHC-DGAT1XMHC-ACS) (n = 4) heart slices were incubated with [³H]palmitate acid as described under “Experimental Procedures.” C, positive correlation between heart muscle DAG levels with left ventricle contractile function (mm Hg/s), (adjusted R² = 0.314; p = 0.019) and with diastolic function (mm Hg/s) (adjusted R² = 0.418; p = 0.005). D, positive correlation between heart muscle ceramide levels with left ventricle contractile function (mm Hg/s) (adjusted R² = 0.543; p < 0.001) and with diastolic function (mm Hg/s) (adjusted R² = 0.628; p ≤ 0.001). E, wild type (WT, n = 10) and transgenic mice (WT, n = 10; MHC-DGAT, n = 15; MHC-ACS, n = 11; and MHC-ACSXMHC-DGAT1, n = 11) were followed for 180 days, and incidence of spontaneous death was recorded as a function of time. *, p < 0.5; **, p < 0.01.