Improvement of the energy supply and contractile function in normal and ischemic rat hearts by dietary orotic acid.

Aims: As cardiac performance is closely related to its energy supply, our study investigated the effect of the orotic acid cardioprotective agent on the pathways of energy supply, in both conditions of normal flow and ischemia.

Main Methods: Male Wistar rats were fed during nine days with a balanced diet only or supplemented with 1% orotic acid.

Key Findings: Dietary administration of orotic acid increased the cardiac utilization of fatty acids, activity of the lipoprotein lipase, expression of the gene of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and its target enzymes.