Profound cardioprotection with timolol in a female rat model of aging-related altered left ventricular function

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazli N. Sozmen ◽  
Erkan Tuncay ◽  
Ayca Bilginoglu ◽  
Belma Turan

Increasing evidence shows a marked beneficial effect with β-blockers in heart dysfunction via scavenging reactive oxygen species. Previously we showed that chronic treatment with either timolol or propranolol possessed similar beneficial effects for heart function in male rats as age increased, whereas only timolol exerted similar benefits in female rats. Therefore, in this study, we aimed first to examine the cellular bases for age-related alterations in excitation–contraction coupling in ventricular myocytes from female rats and, second, to investigate the hypothesis that age-related changes in [Ca2+]ihomeostasis and receptor-mediated system can be prevented with chronic timolol treatment. Chronic timolol treatment of 3-month-old female rats abolished age-related decrease in left ventricular developed pressure and the attenuated responses to β-adrenoreceptor stimulation. It also normalized the altered parameters of [Ca2+]itransients, decreased Ca2+loading of sarcoplasmic reticulum and increased basal [Ca2+]i, and decreased L-type Ca2+currents in 12-month-old female rats compared with the 3-month-old group. Adenylyl cyclase activity, β-adrenoreceptor affinity to its agonist, and β-adrenoreceptor density of the 12-month-old group are normalized to those of the 3-month-old group. Moreover, timolol treatment prevented dysfunction of the antioxidant system, including increased lipid peroxidation, decreased ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione, and decreased activities of thioredoxin reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, in the left ventricle of hearts from the 12-month-old group. Our data confirmed that aging-related early myocardial impairment is primarily related to a dysfunctional antioxidant system and impairment of Ca2+homeostasis, which can be prevented with chronic timolol treatment.

2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (2) ◽  
pp. H659-H670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Howlett

We evaluated effects of age on components of excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in ventricular myocytes from male and female rats to examine sex differences in mechanisms responsible for age-related contractile dysfunction. Myocytes were isolated from anesthetized young adult (∼3 mo) and aged (∼24 mo) Fischer 344 rats. Ca2+ concentrations and contractions were measured simultaneously (37°C, 2 Hz). Fractional shortening declined with age in males (6.7 ± 0.6% to 2.4 ± 0.4%; P < 0.05), as did peak Ca2+ transients (47.7 ± 4.6 to 28.1 ± 2.1 nM; P < 0.05) and Ca2+ current densities (−7.7 ± 0.7 to −6.2 ± 0.5 pA/pF; P < 0.05). Although sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ content was similar regardless of age in males, EC coupling gain declined significantly with age to 55.8 ± 7.8% of values in younger males. In contrast with results in males, contraction and Ca2+ transient amplitudes were unaffected by age in females. Ca2+ current density declined with age in females (−7.5 ± 0.5 to −5.1 ± 0.7 pA/pF; P < 0.05), but SR Ca2+ content actually increased dramatically (49.0 ± 7.5 to 147.3 ± 28.5 nM; P < 0.05). Even so, EC coupling gain was not affected by age in female myocytes. Age also promoted hypertrophy of male myocytes more than female myocytes. Age and sex differences in EC coupling were largely maintained when conditioning pulse frequency was increased to 4 Hz. Contractions, Ca2+ transients, and EC coupling gain were also smaller in young females than in young males. Thus age-dependent changes are more prominent in myocytes from males than females. Increased SR Ca2+ content may compensate for reduced Ca2+ current to preserve contractile function in aged females, which may limit the detrimental effects of age on cardiac contractile function.


2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paramjit S. Tappia ◽  
Rabban Mangat ◽  
Cindy Gabriel ◽  
Melissa R. Dent ◽  
Nina Aroutiounova ◽  
...  

The present study was undertaken to assess the heart function, by the in vivo catheterization technique, of healthy male and female Sprague–Dawley rats fed different conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers, (cis-9, trans-11 (c9,t11) and trans-10, cis-12 (t10,c12)) individually and in combination (50:50 mix as triglyceride or fatty acids) from 4 to 20 weeks of age. Whereas the triglyceride form of the CLA isomer mix lowered the heart rate, the rate of contraction (+dP/dt) and rate of relaxation (–dP/dt), systolic and diastolic pressures, mean arterial pressure, and the left ventricular systolic pressure were higher in male rats as compared with all the other dietary groups. In contrast, there were no significant effects in the cardiac function of the female rats in response to the CLA isomer mix in triglyceride form. Whereas the heart rate, +dP/dt, and left ventricular systolic pressure were lower in male rats fed the t10,c12 CLA isomer alone, the heart rate of the female rats was higher, but the systolic pressure, +dP/dt, and mean arterial pressure were lower compared with the control group. Also, the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was specifically higher in the female rats in response to free fatty acids-containing CLA mix. Furthermore, an additive effect of the free fatty acids-containing CLA mix was seen in the +dP/dt and –dP/dt of female rats compared with the control group. These results indicate that CLA isomers exert differential effects on heart function and suggest the need for a complete evaluation of the benefits, interactions, and potential side effects of each isomer.


1994 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 689-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vyskočil ◽  
C. Viau ◽  
M. Čížková

1 Male and female Wistar rats were given 100 mg L-1 of nickel (as nickel sulfate) in drinking water for 6 months. Lactate dehydrogenase, total proteins, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), albumin and β2-microglobulin were measured in 24 h urine after 3 and 6 months of exposure. Body and kidney weights were also recorded. 2 After 6 months, urinary excretion of albumin in control and exposed rats was 354 and 1319 μg 24 h-1 for female rats (P<0.05) and 989 and 2065 μg 24 h-1 for male rats (P = non significant). Kidney weights were significantly increased in the exposed groups. No significant changes were observed in other parameters. 3 The results suggest that low-level oral exposure to soluble nickel either induces changes of glomerular permeability in female and possibly in male rats, or enhances the normal age-related glomerular nephritis lesions of ageing rats. The intake was probably not high enough to induce significant tubular changes. The female rat seems to be more sensitive to the nephrotoxic effect of nickel than the male rat.


2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-401
Author(s):  
Nihal Ozturk ◽  
Semir Ozdemir

The effects of swimming exercise on age-associated electrical changes in female rat hearts were investigated. Four- and 24-month-old Wistar female rats were divided into three groups as follows: sedentary young, sedentary old and exercise old. Swimming exercise was performed for 8 weeks (60 min/day, 5 days/week). All recordings were taken from freshly isolated left ventricular myocytes of rat heart. Aging caused a significant increase in the size of myocytes; swimming exercise did not affect this change. The repolarization period of the action potential was prolonged in aged myocytes, but exercise training had no effect on this prolongation. Exercise suppressed the transient outward potassium currents, while the inactivation and reactivation kinetics did not change between the groups. Moreover, aging caused suppression in the inward rectifier potassium currents, and exercise increased this suppression. Consequently, changes in the action potential and potassium currents may contribute to the impaired cardiac function in the elderly female myocardium, and swimming exercise is not an effective strategy in reversing these electrical changes.


1971 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Wenzel

ABSTRACT With the aid of metenolon-17α-T a tritium-transfer to oestrone in rat liver slices was demonstrated. This tritium-transfer from metenolon17α-T to oestrone yielding tritium-labelled oestradiol had a higher efficiency in male than in female rat liver. Correspondingly in the presence of metenolon the relation of oestrone to oestradiol is changed more in male than in female rat liver. Looking for biochemical differences between the anabolic steroid metenolon and testosterone the oxydation at C17 was measured in different organs of the rat using 17α-T-labelled steroids. The highest oxydation rate was found for both steroids in the liver. In the sexual organs of male rats the oxydation rate of testosterone was 50–10 times higher than that of the anabolic steroid. This difference was less in sexual organs of female rats. This result of a greater biochemical difference between both steroids in males than in females leads to the question, whether the dissociation between the anabolic and the androgen effects is higher in males than in females.


1990 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. Sillence ◽  
R. G. Rodway

ABSTRACT The effects of trenbolone acetate (TBA) on growth and on plasma concentrations of corticosterone were examined in male and female rats. At 5 weeks of age, rats were injected with TBA (0·8 mg/kg) dissolved in peanut oil, or with oil alone, daily for 10 days. In female rats, TBA caused an increase in weight gain (20–38%), a reduction in adrenal weight (19%) and a reduction in plasma concentrations of corticosterone (55%). In contrast, TBA-treated male rats showed no significant increase in weight gain, no significant change in adrenal weight and no reduction in plasma concentrations of corticosterone. The mechanism by which adrenal activity was suppressed in TBA-treated female rats was examined and the response compared with that to testosterone. Female rats (8 weeks old) were injected daily either with oil vehicle, TBA (0·8 mg/kg) or testosterone propionate (0·8 mg/kg). Testosterone increased weight gain (24%), but the growth response to TBA treatment was significantly greater (97%). A reduction in plasma concentrations of corticosterone (45%) was again observed in response to TBA. However, testosterone increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone (52%) above those of control values. Neither androgen affected plasma concentrations of ACTH. Finally, the effects of TBA were examined in 6-week-old female rats, to characterize further the apparent age-related increase in responsiveness. The growth response of 6-week-old rats (60–74%) was intermediate between that seen in 5- and 8-week-old animals. It is concluded that part of the anabolic activity of TBA may be related to a reduction in circulating concentrations of corticosterone. The effect of TBA on corticosterone concentrations differs from that of the natural androgen, testosterone, and does not appear to be mediated by a reduction in plasma concentrations of ACTH. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 126, 461–466


1998 ◽  
Vol 335 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. SHERRATT ◽  
Margaret M. MANSON ◽  
Anne M. THOMSON ◽  
Erna A. M. HISSINK ◽  
Gordon E. NEAL ◽  
...  

A characteristic feature of the class Theta glutathione S-transferase (GST) T1-1 is its ability to activate dichloromethane and dibromoethane by catalysing the formation of mutagenic conjugates. The level of the GSTT1 subunit within tissues is an important determinant of susceptibility to the carcinogenic effects of these dihaloalkanes. In the present study it is demonstrated that hepatic GST activity towards these compounds can be elevated significantly in female and male Fischer-344 rats by feeding these animals on diets supplemented with cancer chemopreventive agents. Immunoblotting experiments showed that increased activity towards the dihaloalkanes is associated with elevated levels of the GSTT1 subunit in rat liver. Sex-specific effects were observed in the induction of GSTT1 protein. Amongst the chemopreventive agents tested, indole-3-carbinol proved to be the most potent inducer of hepatic GSTT1 in male rats (6.2-fold), whereas coumarin was the most potent inducer of this subunit in the livers of female rats (3.5-fold). Phenobarbital showed significant induction of GSTT1 only in male rat liver and had little effect in female rat liver. Western blotting showed that class Alpha, Mu and Pi GST subunits are not co-ordinately induced with GSTT1, indicating that the expression of GSTT1 is determined, at least in part, by mechanisms distinct from those that regulate levels of other transferases. The increase in amount of hepatic GSTT1 protein was also reflected by an increase in the steady-state level of mRNA in response to treatment with chemopreventive agents and model inducers. Immunohistochemical detection of GSTT1 in rat liver supported the Western blotting data, but showed, in addition to cytoplasmic staining, significant nuclear localization of the enzyme in hepatocytes from some treated animals, including those fed on an oltipraz-containing diet. Significantly, the hepatic level of cytochrome P-450 2E1, an enzyme which offers a detoxification pathway for dihaloalkanes, was unchanged by the various inducing agents studied. It is concluded that the induction of GSTT1 by dietary components and its localization within cells are important factors that should be considered when assessing the risk dihaloalkanes pose to human health.


1990 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Porsch Hällstöm ◽  
J.-Å. Gustafsson ◽  
A. Blanck

ABSTRACT Expression of the c-myc gene was studied in the livers of male and female Wistar rats. Furthermore, the effects on hepatic c-myc expression of neonatal and adult castration, with or without testosterone supplementation, as well as of continuous administration of GH to intact males, were analysed. Expression of c-myc was low in 6-day-old animals of both sexes, reached a maximum at 35 days of age and declined to the level of adult animals at 70 days. In prepubertal animals, expression was higher in females, but was higher in males after the onset of puberty, the postpubertal female rat liver exhibiting 50–70% of the expression in males. Treatment of adult male rats with bovine GH in osmotic minipumps for 1 week reduced c-myc expression to the level of female rats. Castration, both neonatally and of adults, also feminized hepatic c-myc expression. Testosterone supplementation of the castrated animals increased the expression towards the level in sham-operated controls. These results indicate that the c-myc gene is regulated by the hypothalamo-pituitary-liver axis via the sex-differentiated pattern of GH secretion, in analogy with other sex-differentiated hepatic functions, such as metabolism of steroids and xenobiotics. Neuroendocrine regulation of a gene such as c-myc, which is involved in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation, represents another aspect of the complex influence of GH on various somatic functions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Tozlovanu ◽  
Delphine Canadas ◽  
Annie Pfohl-Leszkowicz ◽  
Christine Frenette ◽  
Robert J. Paugh ◽  
...  

AbstractIn the present study the photoreactivity of the fungal carcinogen ochratoxin A (OTA) has been utilised to generate authentic samples of reduced glutathione (GSH) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) conjugates of the parent toxin. These conjugates, along with the nontoxic OTα, which is generated through hydrolysis of the amide bond of OTA by carboxypeptidase A, were utilised as biomarkers to study the metabolism of OTA in the liver and kidney of male and female Dark Agouti rats. Male rats are more susceptible than female rats to OTA carcinogenesis with the kidney being the target organ. Our studies show that the distribution of OTA in male and female rat kidney is not significantly different. However, the extent of OTA metabolism was greater in male than female rats. Much higher levels of OTα were detected in the liver compared to the kidney, and formation of OTα is a detoxification pathway for OTA. These findings suggest that differences in metabolism between male and female rats could provide an explanation for the higher sensitivity of male rats to OTA toxicity


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