[Relationship between vascular senescence and impaired circadian rhythmicity]

Aging is associated with impairment of various circadian rhythms of body, including daily rhythms of blood pressure, core body temperature, and the sleep-waking cycle. In mammals circadian rhythmicity is under control of molecular pacemaker that is composed of products of clock genes. Recent evidence suggests that cellular senescence impairs circadian rhythmicity and contributes to various age-associated diseases. Senescence decreases the ability of cells to transmit circadian signals such as nitric oxide to their clocks. The regulation of clock gene expression may be a novel strategy for treatment of age-associated impairment of circadian rhythmicity.