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Age-Dependent Decrease in Adropin is Associated with Reduced Levels of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase and
Changjun Yang1, Kelly M DeMars1, Eduardo Candelario-Jalil1
1Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Aging significantly reduces brain adropin levels, correlating with endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. This suggests adropin loss may contribute to age-related cerebrovascular issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Adropin, a brain-expressed peptide, is linked to aging and endothelial dysfunction.
- Low plasma adropin levels are observed in aging and endothelial dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of aging on brain adropin levels.
- To explore the correlation between brain adropin, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and oxidative stress in aged rats.
Main Methods:
- Quantified adropin mRNA (Enho gene) via RT-qPCR in young and aged rat brains.
- Measured adropin protein, eNOS, oxidative stress markers (NADPH oxidase, 4-HNE), Akt, and caveolin-1 using Western blotting and ELISA.
- Collected cortical brain tissue and plasma from young and aged male Sprague-Dawley rats.
Main Results:
- Aged rats exhibited significantly reduced brain adropin mRNA and protein levels compared to young rats.
- Plasma adropin levels were also significantly lower in aged rats.
- Aged brains showed decreased eNOS, Akt, and caveolin-1, alongside increased oxidative stress markers (gp91phox, 4-HNE).
Conclusions:
- Adropin levels negatively correlate with markers of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative injury in the aging brain.
- The decline in brain adropin may play a role in the development of age-related cerebrovascular dysfunction.
- Findings highlight adropin as a potential factor in aging-associated endothelial changes.
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