The nitric oxide system response to hypoxia/reoxygenation in the aged cerebral cortex

Aged individuals are more susceptible to hypoxic insults, but little is known about the response of the nitric oxide (NO) system to hypoxia in the senescent brain. We have analysed the effect of aging on the hypobaric hypoxia/reoxygenation NO synthase (NOS) expression and activity in the cerebral cortex. In aged animals, the absence of significant changes in NOx and activity indicates a weaker response of the systems involving NO production in this pathological situation. The nNOS protein levels remained invariable and similar in both age groups after hypoxia, although in aged animals the mRNA did not change and was consistently lower than in adults. Both eNOS mRNA and protein increased shortly after hypoxia. However, although eNOS protein levels were quite similar in both age groups, the increase appeared later and was less persistent in aged animals. Real-time RT-PCR revealed a similar basal inducible NOS (iNOS) mRNA expression that responded late in reoxygenation, mainly in aged rats. However, neither iNOS protein nor activity was detected in any age group. Altogether our results indicate that aging attenuates the response of the NO system to a hypoxic injury, particularly at eNOS level, the activity of which is crucial for maintaining vascular homeostasis.