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Renal failure induces telomere shortening in the rat heart

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Abstract

BackgroundRenal failure aggravates pathological cardiac remodelling induced by myocardial infarction (MI). Cardiac remodelling is associated with telomere shortening, a marker for biological ageing. We investigated whether mild and severe renal failure shorten cardiac telomeres and excessively shorten telomeres after MI.

MethodsRats were subjected to sham, unilateral (UNX) or 5/6th nephrectomy (5/6NX) to induce none, mild or severe renal failure. MI was induced by left coronary artery ligation. Renal function parameters and blood pressure were measured. DNA was isolated from non-infarcted cardiac tissue. Telomere length was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

ResultsProteinuria was unchanged in UNX and MI compared with control, but strongly increased in 5/6NX, UNX+MI and 5/6NX+MI. Serum creatinine levels were increased fourfold in 5/6NX and tenfold in 5/6NX+MI. 5/6NX and groups with both renal failure and MI showed an approximate 20% reduction of telomere length, similar to the MI group. No excess telomere shortening was observed in hearts from rats with renal ablation after MI.

ConclusionSevere renal failure, but not mild renal failure, leads to shortening of cardiac telomeres to a similar extent as found after MI. Renal failure did not induce excessive telomere shortening after MI. (Neth Heart J 2009;17:190–4.)

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    L. S. Wong

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  1. L. S. Wong
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  2. W. A. Windt
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  3. A. J. Roks
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  4. R. P. van Dokkum
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  5. R. G. Schoemaker
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  6. de Zeeuw
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  7. R. H. Henning
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Correspondence to L. S. Wong.

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Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands

Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Groningen Institute for Drug Evaluation (GUIDE), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, the Netherlands

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Wong, L.S., Windt, W.A., Roks, A.J. et al. Renal failure induces telomere shortening in the rat heart. NHJL 17, 190–194 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03086245

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