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Vascular aging in the longest‐living rodent, the naked mole‐rat
Author(s) -
Csiszar Anna,
Labinskyy Nazar,
Orosz Zsuzsanna,
Buffenstein Rochelle,
Ungvari Zoltan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a851-c
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , reactive oxygen species , fragmentation (computing) , nitric oxide , endothelium , acetylcholine , medicine , endocrinology , biology , rodent , biochemistry , ecology
Interspecies comparative assessment of vascular function among rodents with disparate longevity may offer insight into the mechanisms determining successful vascular aging. Previously we have shown that in shorter‐living mice and rats vascular aging is characterized by impaired endothelium‐dependent, nitric oxide‐mediated responses, oxidative stress and enhanced apoptotic cell death. The naked mole‐rat (NMR) is the longest‐living rodent known (maximum lifespan potential [MLSP]: >28 years). The present study was designed to compare aging‐induced changes in endothelial function and production of reactive oxygen species in NMR arteries and vessels of shorter‐living F344 rats (MLSP: ~3 years). There was a significant age‐dependent decline in acetylcholine‐induced responses in vessels of 14‐16 months old (~43% of MLSP) and 24 month old (~67% of MLSP) F344 rats. In contrast compared to vessels of young animals (<2 years old), carotid arteries of aged NMRs (~12 years old; relative age: ~43% of MLSP) exhibited unaltered NO‐mediated relaxation responses to acetylcholine and to the NO donor SNAP. Cellular O2.‐ and H2O2 production significantly increased in aged rat arteries, whereas they did not change substantially with age in NMR vessels. Apoptotic cell death was significantly enhanced in arteries of 24 month old rats (as indicated by a 190% increase in DNA fragmentation rate). In contrast, vessels from 12 years old NMRs exhibited only a 52 % increase in DNA fragmentation rate. Thus, long‐living NMRs can maintain a youthful vascular function relatively longer and are better protected against aging‐induced oxidative stress than shorter‐living rats. (Grant support: AHA 0430108N, 0435140N, NIH HL077256, AG022891 and NIGMS S06‐GM08168, Philip Morris USA).