HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 290/1/R251    most recent 00272.2005v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Alwardt, C. M. Articles by Larson, D. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Alwardt, C. M. Articles by Larson, D. F.

NEUROHUMORAL CONTROL OF CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION

Comparative effects of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on ventricular diastolic function with young and aged female mice

¹Sarver Heart Center, ²Departments of Medical Pharmacology, ³Physiology, and ⁴Health Promotions Sciences, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Submitted 15 April 2005 ; accepted in final form 2 August 2005

The adrenal steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated derivative [DHEA(S)] have been extensively studied for their potential anti-aging effects. Associated with aging, DHEA levels decline in humans, whereas other adrenal hormones remain unchanged, suggesting that DHEA may be important in the aging process. However, the effect of DHEA(S) supplementation on cardiac function in the aged has not been investigated. Therefore, we administered to young and old female mice a 60-day treatment with exogenous DHEA(S) at a dose of 0.1 mg/ml in the drinking water and compared the effects on left ventricular diastolic function and the myocardial extracellular matrix composition. The left ventricular stiffness () was 0.30 ± 0.06 mmHg/µl in the older control mice compared with 0.17 ± 0.02 mmHg/µl in young control mice. Treatment with DHEA(S) decreased left ventricular stiffness to 0.12 ± 0.03 mmHg/µl in the older mice and increased left ventricular stiffness to 0.27 ± 0.04 mmHg/µl in young mice. The mechanism for the DHEA(S)-induced changes in diastolic function appeared to be associated with altered matrix metalloproteinase activity and the percentage of collagen cross-linking. We conclude that exogenous DHEA(S) supplementation is capable of reversing the left ventricular stiffness and fibrosis that accompanies aging, with a paradoxical increased ventricular stiffness in young mice.

cardiac fibroblast; left ventricle; cross-linking; collagen