PPARgamma agonist induced cardiac enlargement is associated with reduced fatty acid and increased glucose utilization in myocardium of Wistar rats.

In toxicological studies, high doses of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) agonists cause cardiac enlargement. To investigate whether this could be explained by a large shift from free fatty acid to glucose utilization by the heart, Wistar rats were treated for 2-3 weeks with a potent, selective PPARgamma agonist (X334, 3 micromol/kg/d), or vehicle. X334 treatment increased body-weight gain and ventricular mass.