The “Heartbreak” of Older Age

Table 2.

Myocardial Changes With Adult Aging In Rodents

Structural Change Functional Change Ionic, Biophysical/Biochemical Mechanisms Genetic Mechanisms
SR, sarcoplasmic reticulum; SERCA, Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase; MHC, myosin heavy chain; RXR, retinoid X receptor; β AR, β -adrenergic receptor; AC, adenylyl cyclase; BARK, β -adrenergic receptor kinase; Gi , inhibitory G protein; TNI, troponin-I; ICa , calcium influx; Cai , intracellular calcium concentrations, HSF, heat shock factor; RYR2, cardiac ryanodine receptor, AT1R, Angiotensin II type 1 receptor; RAS, Renin-Angiotensin system.
↑ Myocyte size Prolonged Contraction Prolonged cytosolic Ca2+ transient
↓ Myocyte number ↓ SR Ca2+ pumping rate SERCA mRNA
↓ Pump site density No Δ calsequestrin mRNA
Prolonged Action Potential ↓ ICa inactivation Na+ -Ca2+ exchanger mRNA
↓ ITo density
Diminished Contraction ↓α MHC protein ↓ MHC mRNA
Velocity ↑β MHC protein ↑β MHC mRNA
↓ Myosin ATPase activity No Δ Actin mRNA
↓ RXRβ 1 and γ mRNA ↓ RXRβ 1 and γ mRNA
↓ RXRβ 1 and γ protein
↓ Thyroid receptor protein
Diminished β -adrenergic ↓ Coupling β AR-AC β1 AR mRNA
Contractile Response No Δ Gi activation no Δ BARK mRNA
No Δ β ARK activity
↓ TNI, phospholamban
↓ Phospholamban phosphorylation
↓ ICa augmentation
↓ Cai transient augmentation
↑ Enkephalin peptides
↑ Proenkephalin mRNA
↑ Matrix connective tissue ↑ Myocardial Stiffness ↑ Hydroxyproline content ↑ Collagen mRNA
↑ Activity of myocardial RAS ↑ Fibronectin mRNA
↑ AT1R mRNA
↑ Atrial naturetic peptide ↓ Atrial naturetic peptide mRNA
↓ Growth Response ↓ Induction of immediate early genes
↓ Heat Shock Response ↓ Activation of HSF

This Article

  1. MI November 2002 vol. 2 no. 7 431-446