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Age-related regional differences in cardiac nerve growth factor expression

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Abstract

Age has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. A shift of the cardiac autonomic nervous system towards an increase in sympathetic tone has been reported in the elderly. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is the main neurotrophic factor that increases the sympathetic activity of the heart. If there is a shift of NGF expression in old compared to young cardiomyocytes and whether there are regional differences in the heart still remain unclear. Therefore, we chose a rat model of different-aged rats (3–4 days = neonatal, 6–8 weeks = young, 20–24 months = old), and isolated cardiomyocytes from the left and the right atrium (LA, RA), as well as from the left and the right ventricle (LV, RV), were used to determine NGF expression on mRNA and protein levels. In neonatal, young, and old rats, NGF amount in LA and RA was significantly lower as compared to LV and RV. In young and old rats, we found significant higher NGF protein levels in LA compared to RA. In addition, both atria showed an increase in NGF expression between age groups neonatal, young, and old. In both ventricles, we observed a significant decrease in NGF expression from neonatal to young rats and a significant increase from young to old rats. The highest NGF amount in LV and RV was observed in neonatal rats. Regarding tyrosine kinase A receptor (TrkA) expression, the main receptor for NGF signaling, both atria showed the largest expression in old rats; while in LV and RV, TrkA was expressed mainly in young rats. These results point to a contribution of nerve growth factors to the change of autonomic tone observed in elderly patients.

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Abbreviations

NGF:

Nerve growth factor

TrkA:

Tyrosine kinase A receptor

NRCM:

Neonatal rat atrial and ventricular myocytes

N:

Neonatal rats (3–4 days)

Y:

Young rats (6–8 weeks)

O:

Old rats (20–24 months)

RA:

Right atrium

LA:

Left atrium

RV:

Right ventricle

LV:

Left ventricle

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Erol Saygili, Rahel Kluttig, Obaida R. Rana, Esra Saygili, Christopher Gemein, Matthias D. Zink, Gediminas Rackauskas, Nikolaus Marx & Patrick Schauerte

  2. Department of Cardiology, Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Gediminas Rackauskas

  3. Institute for Neuropathology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Joachim Weis

  4. Medical Clinic II, Klinikum Weiden, Weiden, Germany

    Robert H. G. Schwinger

Authors
  1. Erol Saygili
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  2. Rahel Kluttig
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  3. Obaida R. Rana
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  4. Esra Saygili
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  5. Christopher Gemein
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  7. Gediminas Rackauskas
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  8. Joachim Weis
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  9. Robert H. G. Schwinger
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  10. Nikolaus Marx
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  11. Patrick Schauerte
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Correspondence to Erol Saygili.

Additional information

Erol Saygili and Rahel Kluttig contributed equally to this work.

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Saygili, E., Kluttig, R., Rana, O.R. et al. Age-related regional differences in cardiac nerve growth factor expression. AGE 34, 659–667 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9262-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-011-9262-0

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