Low-intensity exercise diverts cardiac fatty acid metabolism from triacylglycerol synthesis to beta oxidation in fructose-fed rats

Excessive fructose consumption causes ectopic lipid storage leading to metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases associated with defective substrate utilisation in the heart.Examining the preventive impact of low-intensity exercise on alterations related to fructose-rich diet (FRD) on cardiac fatty acid (FA) transport and metabolism.Male Wistar rats were divided into control and two groups that received 10% fructose for 9 weeks, one of which was additionally exposed to exercise.FRD elevated plasma and cardiac TAG, FATP1 in plasma membrane, Lipin 1 in microsomes and HSL mRNA, while mitochondrial CPT1 was decreased. Exercise decreased plasma free FA level, raised CD36 in plasma membrane and FATP1 in lysate, mitochondrial CPT1 and decreased microsomal Lipin 1 in fructose-fed rats.FRD changed plasma lipids and augmented partitioning of FA to TAG storage in the heart, whereas exercise in FRD rats switched metabolism of FA towards β-oxidation.