The up-regulation of the cardiac lipid metabolism was related to the onset of heart failure signs, because hypertrophic heart tissue isolated from B6 mice after 1 month of AAC without signs of heart failure (cf. Fig. 1) did not show a significant change in the expression of lipid metabolism genes, although the hypertrophic marker, natriuretic peptide type B (Nppb), was increased (Fig. 4B). The gene discussed is NPPB; the disease is heart failure.