Overexpression of catalase targeted to mitochondria attenuates murine cardiac aging.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Age is a major risk for cardiovascular diseases. Although mitochondrial reactive oxygen species have been proposed as one of the causes of aging, their role in cardiac aging remains unclear. We have previously shown that overexpression of catalase targeted to mitochondria (mCAT) prolongs murine median lifespan by 17% to 21%.

Methods and results

We used echocardiography to study cardiac function in aging cohorts of wild-type and mCAT mice. Changes found in wild-type mice recapitulate human aging: age-dependent increases in left ventricular mass index and left atrial dimension, worsening of the myocardial performance index, and a decline in diastolic function. Cardiac aging in mice is accompanied by accumulation of mitochondrial protein oxidation, increased mitochon

SUBMITTER: Dai DF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2858759 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature