Long noncoding RNA SALTe1, microvascular ageing, and cardiac dysfunction

Ageing is accompanied by progressive microvascular dysfunction, a key determinant of organ performance and longevity. The molecular drivers of this process remain incompletely defined, and the mechanisms by which exercise counters vascular ageing are unclear. This study investigated whether exercise-regulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to microvascular ageing and age-related cardiac dysfunction.

RNA sequencing was performed in naturally aged mice with and without voluntary exercise. Functional studies of candidate lncRNAs were conducted using AAV-mediated overexpression, antisense oligonucleotides, and CRISPR-based knockdown, both in vivo and in endothelial cells (ECs).

A novel set of lncRNAs altered in hearts from exercised aged mice was identified and termed Senescence Associated LncRNA Transcripts in Exercise (SALTes). Among these, SALTe1 is evolutionarily conserved and enriched in ECs. SALTe1 expression is elevated in hearts from aged mice and in patients with various types of heart failure but suppressed by exercise. In 20-month-old mice, SALTe1 inhibition, via antisense GapmeRs or EC-specific deletion, attenuated endothelial senescence, restored microvascular perfusion, and improved diastolic function. Mechanistic studies showed that SALTe1 acts, at least in part, through upregulation of PARP9.

These findings establish SALTe1 as a pivotal regulator of endothelial senescence as well as microvascular and cardiac dysfunction in ageing. Targeted inhibition of SALTe1 recapitulates the vasculoprotective effects of exercise, highlighting a tractable antisense-based therapeutic strategy for combating age-related cardiac decline.