Cardiac contractile dysfunction in insulin-resistant rats fed a high-fat diet is associated with elevated CD36-mediated fatty acid uptake and esterification

Aims/hypothesis Changes in cardiac substrate utilisation leading to altered energy metabolism may underlie the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We studied cardiomyocyte substrate uptake and utilisation and the role of the fatty acid translocase CD36 in relation to in vivo cardiac function in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD).