Role of oxidative stress and AT1 receptors in cerebral vascular dysfunction with aging

Modrick ML, Didion SP, Sigmund CD, Faraci FM. Role of oxidative stress and AT(1) receptors in cerebral vascular dysfunction with aging. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 296: H1914-H1919, 2009. First published April 24, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00300.2009.-Vascular dysfunction occurs with aging. We hypothesized that oxidative stress and ANG II [acting via ANG II type 1 (AT(1)) receptors] promotes cerebral vascular dysfunction with aging. We studied young (5-6 mo), old (17-19 mo), and very old (23 +/- 1 mo) mice. In basilar arteries in vitro, acetylcholine (an endothelium-dependent agonist) produced dilation in young wild-type mice that was reduced by similar to 60 and 90% (P < 0.05) in old and very old mice, respectively. Similar effects were seen using A23187, a second endothelium-dependent agonist. The vascular response to acetylcholine in very old mice was almost completely restored with tempol (a scavenger of superoxide) and partly restored by PJ34, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). We used mice deficient in Mn-SOD (Mn-SOD+/-) to test whether this form of SOD protected during aging but found that age-induced endothelial dysfunction was not altered by Mn-SOD deficiency. Cerebral vascular responses were similar in young mice lacking AT(1) receptors (AT(1)(-/-)) and wild-type mice. Vascular responses to acetylcholine and A23187 were reduced by similar to 50% in old wild-type mice (P < 0.05) but were normal in old AT(1)-deficient mice. Thus, aging produces marked endothelial dysfunction in the cerebral artery that is mediated by ROS, may involve the activation of PARP, but was not enhanced by Mn-SOD deficiency. Our findings suggest a novel and fundamental role for ANG II and AT(1) receptors in age-induced vascular dysfunction.