Aging-related endothelial dysfunction in the aorta from female senescence-accelerated mice is associated with decreased nitric oxide synthase expression

Abstract

The present study investigated the time-course for aging-associated effects on contractile and relaxing vascular responses and nitric oxide (NO) production in the aorta from female senescence-accelerated resistant (SAMR1) and prone (SAMP8) mice. Both SAMR1 and SAMP8 were studied at three different ages: 3 (young), 6 (middle age) and 10 (old) months. Concentration–response curves to phenylephrine (10−8 to 10−5M) or acetylcholine (10−9 to 10−5M) were performed in the aortic rings in the absence or in the presence of NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME (10−4M). Protein and gene expression for endothelial NOS (eNOS) was determined by immunofluorescence, Western blot and real-time PCR. Although we have not seen any difference in vascular responses when comparing both strains at 3months old, we found a significant aging-associated impairment of vascular reactivity that follows a distinct time-course in SAMR1 and SAMP8. In SAMR1, increases in phenylephrine contraction and decreases in acetylcholine relaxation were only seen at 10months old, while SAMP8 displays altered responses at 6months that are further impaired at 10months old. L-NAME treatment enhanced phenylephrine contractions and completely inhibited acetylcholine relaxations in all age groups of SAMR1 and SAMP8. However, the magnitude of increase in phenylephrine contraction by L-NAME was markedly reduced by aging and followed a faster pace in SAMP8. Similar pattern of responses was observed in the time course for changes of eNOS expression, suggesting an earlier and more pronounced aging-associated decrease of NO production and eNOS expression in SAMP8. These results reveal that aging enhances contractile responses to phenylephrine and decreases endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine in the aorta from female mice by a mechanism that involves a decrease of NO production. This process occurs earlier in the aorta from SAMP8 mice, establishing these mice as suitable model to study cardiovascular aging in a convenient and standard time course.