title: Vascular aging in the longest-living rodent, the naked mole rat.
abstract: The naked mole rat (NMR; Heterocephalus glaber) is the longest-living rodent known [maximum lifespan potential (MLSP): >28 yr] and is a unique model of successful aging showing attenuated declines in most physiological function. This study addresses age-related changes in endothelial function and production of reactive oxygen species in NMR arteries and vessels of shorter-living Fischer 344 rats (MLSP: approximately 3 yr). Rats exhibit a significant age-dependent decline in acetylcholine-induced responses in carotid arteries over a 2-yr age range. In contrast, over a 10-yr age range nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation responses to acetylcholine and to the NO donor S-nitrosopencillamine (SNAP) were unaltered in NMRs. Cellular superoxide anion (O(2)(*-)) and H(2)O(2) production significantly increased with age in rat arteries, whereas they did not change substantially with age in NMR vessels. Indicators of apoptotic cell death (DNA fragmentation rate, caspase 3/7 activity) were significantly enhanced ( approximately 250-300%) in arteries of 2-yr-old rats. In contrast, vessels from 12-yr-old NMRs exhibited only a approximately 50% increase in apoptotic cell death. In the hearts of NMRs (2 to 26 yr old), expression of endothelial NO synthase, antioxidant enzymes (Cu,Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase), the NAD(P)H oxidase subunit gp91(phox), and mitochondrial proteins (COX-IV, ATP synthase, and porin, an indicator of mitochondrial mass) did not change significantly with age. Thus long-living NMRs can maintain a youthful vascular function and cellular oxidant-antioxidant phenotype relatively longer and are better protected against aging-induced oxidative stress than shorter-living rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Csiszar
authors.forename: Nazar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Labinskyy
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Orosz
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiangmin
authors.forename: Rochelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buffenstein
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ungvari
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008136:Longevity; D019577:Mole Rats / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D013481:Superoxides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D000109:Acetylcholine