Effect of an Enteral Formula Enriched With ω-3 Fatty Acids, Carnitine, and Vitamin D on Body Weight, Heart Weight, and Blood Biochemical Parameters in a Dahl Rat Heart Failure Model

Malnutrition is known to worsen the prognosis of chronic heart failure (HF). To gain information that may be helpful in establishing appropriate nutritional interventions for chronic HF, this study was performed to investigate the efficacy of nutritional management with 2 enteral formulas, EH, with a standard nutritional composition, and ER, fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and carnitine. Experiments were performed in a Dahl rat HF model. After being fed a standard rodent feed (MF) containing 8% NaCl (high salt-MF [HS-MF]) from 6 to 11 weeks of age, rats were assigned to freeze-dried EH or ER diets with an NaCl concentration of 8% (HS-ER or HS-EH) until 18 weeks of age. Serum albumin was significantly higher at 14 and 17 weeks of age in rats fed the HS-ER and HS-EH diets compared with those remaining on the HS-MF diet. Body weight was also significantly higher at 14 and 17 weeks of age in animals fed the HS-ER diet, showing that nutritional deterioration was prevented. In addition, heart weight was significantly lower at 18 weeks of age in the HS-ER group than that in the HS-MF group, suggesting that cardiac hypertrophy was prevented. This study demonstrated improved nutritional status in a HF model in Dahl rats presumably owing to differences in nutritional composition in the diets. Future studies are needed to explore optimal nutritional management with enteral formulas in patients with chronic HF.