Abstract 058: Sirt3 Impairment and SOD2 Hyperacetylation Drive Vascular Oxidative Stress and Hypertension

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Aging is associated with increased incidence of hypertension and a decline of the mitochondrial energy regulator deacetylase Sirt3. A major mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme, SOD2, is inhibited by acetylation and its deacetylation by Sirt3 restores SOD2 activity. We hypothesized that loss of Sirt3 activity increases vascular oxidative stress due to SOD2 hyperacetylation and that this promotes hypertension. The combination of angiotensin II and TNFα, which is produced by inflammatory cells in hypertension, synergistically reduced Sirt3 expression, induced SOD2 acetylation and increased mitochondrial superoxide (O 2 • - ) in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). mitoEbselen, which scavenges mitochondrial H 2 O 2 , prevented SOD2 acetylation in HAEC and normalized mitochondrial O 2 • - suggesting redox-dependent modulation of Sirt3. In intact mice, chronic AngII infusion (490 ng/kg/min) reduced vascular Sirt3 expression by 20%, caused Sirt3 S-glutathionylation, SOD2 hyperacetylation and reduced SOD2 activity by 42%. Mice transgenic for mitochondria-targeted catalase exhibited reduced Sirt3 S-glutathionylation, no SOD2 hyperacetylation, maintenance of SOD2 activity and no increase in mitochondrial O 2 • - . The functional role of Sirt3 S-glutathionylation was further supported by mitoEbselen treatment of WT and Sirt3 -/- mice after the onset of AngII-induced hypertension. mitoEbselen reduced vascular oxidative stress and hypertension in WT but not in Sirt3 -/- mice. In Sirt3 -/- mice, low dose AngII (200 ng/kg/min) caused greater hypertension (150 mm Hg) than in WT (128 mm Hg, P<0.01) and AngII-infused Sirt3 -/- mice produced less nitric oxide that WT, as detected by electron spin resonance (70 pmol/aorta vs 110 WT+AngII, P< 0.01). We further showed that treatment with the mitochondria targeted SOD2 mimetic mitoTEMPO, initiated after the onset of AngII-induced hypertension lowered blood pressure and improved vasodilatation in both WT and Sirt3 -/- mice, further supporting a role of mitochondrial O 2 • - in hypertension. These data indicate that reduced Sirt3 activity occurs in hypertension due to S-glutathionylation and that this leads to SOD2 hyperacetylation and inactivation, promoting vascular oxidative stress and blood pressure elevation.