The Cardioprotective Effect of Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol) Is Strongly Related to Age and Gender in Mice.
Vitamin E (VitE) only prevented cardiovascular diseases in some patients and the mechanisms remain unknown. VitE levels can be affected by aging and gender. We hypothesize that age and gender can influence VitE's cardioprotective effect. Mice were divided into 4 groups according to age and gender, and each group of mice were divided into a control group and a VitE group. The mice were administered water or VitE for 21 days; Afterward, the cardiac function and myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were measured after myocardial ischemia reperfusion(MI/R). VitE may significantly improved cardiac function in young male mice and aged female mice by enhancing ERK1/2 activity and reducing JNK activity. Enhanced expression of HSP90 and Bcl-2 were also seen in young male mice. No changes in cardiac function and cardiac proteins were detected in aged male mice and VitE was even liked to exert a reverse effect in cardiac function in young mice by enhancing JNK activity and reducing Bcl-2 expression. Those effects were in accordance with the changes of myocardial infarction size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in each group of mice. VitE may reduce MI/R injury by inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis in young male mice and aged female mice but not in aged male mice. VitE was possibly harmful for young female mice, shown as increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis after MI/R. Thus, we speculated that the efficacy of VitE in cardiac protection was associated with age and gender.
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Xiao-Xia
XX
Hu
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Li
L
Fu
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Yan
Y
Li
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Ze-Bang
ZB
Lin
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Xiang
X
Liu
Department of Cardiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, P.R. China.
Jing-Feng
JF
Wang
Department of Cardiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, P.R. China.
Yang-Xin
YX
Chen
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Zhi-Ping
ZP
Wang
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Xi
X
Zhang
The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Division of Hypertension and Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Zhi-Jun
ZJ
Ou
Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First sAffiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China; Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, P.R. China.
Jing-Song
JS
Ou
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D014810:Vitamin E