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Effects of gender and age on hypothalamic redox signaling and adrenomedullary catecholamine biosynthesis
Author(s) -
Tawil Rabih,
Erdos Benedek,
Woods Mary E,
Cudykier Idan,
Vierck Charles J,
Yezierski Robert P,
Tumer Nihal
Publication year - 2009
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.23.1_supplement.792.4
Subject(s) - tyrosine hydroxylase , medicine , endocrinology , catecholamine , catalase , biosynthesis , tyrosine 3 monooxygenase , tyrosine , nadph oxidase , hypothalamus , biology , enzyme , chemistry , dopamine , oxidative stress , biochemistry
Increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity plays a central role in age‐related cardiovascular diseases. SNS activity is regulated in part by hypothalamic redox signaling and catecholamine biosynthesis. The aim of this study was to examine whether age affects these regulatory pathways differently in males and females. Hypothalamic and adrenomedullary protein levels were measured from young (5mo) and old (25mo) male and female F344xBN rats. NADPH oxidase p47 subunits were significantly higher in the young female (YF) compared with young male (YM) rats, and while p47 levels declined in both old male (OM) and old female (OF) rats, the reduction was smaller in OF. NADPH oxidase p67 subunit levels were similar in YM and YF, but declined more in OM than in OF. Hypothalamic CuZnSOD levels were lower in YF than in YM, and these levels further decreased with age in only males. In contrast, catalase expression was higher in YF compared with YM, and decreased more in OM than in OF. Hypothalamic tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate‐limiting enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis, was significantly higher in YM vs. YF, and decreased significantly in OM but not in OF rats. Adrenomedullary TH, an indicator of SNS activity, was similar in YF and YM, and only increased with age in males. These data show that there is a significant gender difference in how age affects central redox signaling and SNS activity.