Vascular oxidative stress in aging: a homeostatic failure due to dysregulation of NRF2-mediated antioxidant response

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2011 Aug;301(2):H363-72. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.01134.2010. Epub 2011 May 20.

Abstract

There is strong evidence showing that aging is associated with vascular oxidative stress, which has been causally linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases. NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor, which is activated by reactive oxygen species in the vasculature of young animals leading to the upregulation of various antioxidant genes. The present study was designed to elucidate age-related changes in the homeostatic role of Nrf2-driven free radical detoxification mechanisms in the vasculature. We found that in the aorta of Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats, aging results in a progressive increase in O(2)(·-) production, and downregulates protein and mRNA expression of Nrf2, which is associated with a decreased nuclear Nrf2 activity and a decrease in the Nrf2 target genes NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase, and heme oxygenase-1. There was an inverse relationship between vascular expression of Nrf2 target genes and age-related increases in the expression of the NF-κB target genes ICAM-1 and IL-6, which was significant by regression analysis. In cultured aorta segments of young (3 mo old) rats treatment with H(2)O(2) and high glucose significantly increases nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and upregulates the expression of Nrf2 target genes. In contrast, in cultured aorta segments of aged (24 mo old) rats, the induction of Nrf2-dependent responses by H(2)O(2) and high glucose are blunted. High glucose-induced vascular oxidative stress was more severe in aortas of aged rats, as shown by the significantly increased H(2)O(2) production in these vessels, compared with responses obtained in aortas from young rats. Moreover, we found that aging progressively increases vascular sensitivity to the proapoptotic effects of H(2)O(2) and high glucose treatments. Taken together, aging is associated with Nrf2 dysfunction in the vasculature, which likely exacerbates age-related cellular oxidative stress and increases sensitivity of aged vessels to oxidative stress-induced cellular damage.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aging / genetics
  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Aging / pathology
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Aorta / metabolism*
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Apoptosis
  • Carotid Arteries / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / genetics
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / metabolism
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / genetics
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / metabolism
  • Homeostasis
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / metabolism
  • Hyperglycemia / metabolism
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Male
  • NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / genetics
  • NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / metabolism
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / genetics
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / metabolism*
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred BN
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Tissue Culture Techniques

Substances

  • Interleukin-6
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2
  • NF-kappa B
  • Nfe2l2 protein, rat
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)
  • Hmox1 protein, rat
  • NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)
  • NQO1 protein, rat
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase
  • Glucose