Role of circulating factors in cardiac aging

Abstract

Worldwide increase in life expectancy is a major contributor to the epidemic of chronic degenerative diseases. Aging, indeed, simultaneously affects multiple organ systems, and it has been hypothesized that systemic alterations in regulators of tissue physiology may regulate this process. Cardiac aging itself is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and, because of the intimate relationship with the brain, may contribute to increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. Blood-borne factors may play a major role in this complex and still elusive process. A number of studies, mainly based on the revival of parabiosis, a surgical technique very popular during the 70s of the 20 th century to study the effect of a shared circulation in two animals, have indeed shown the potential that humoral factors can control the aging process in different tissues. In this article we review the role of circulating factors in cardiovascular aging. A better understanding of these mechanisms may provide new insights in the aging process and provide novel therapeutic opportunities for chronic age-related disorders.

Aging: Molecular Pathways and Implications on the Cardiovascular System

“…The vasculature also plays an important role in connecting all the tissues through the blood flow. In fact, the vascular inflammation extends to other organism components leading to a systemic effect [ 196 ]. In the young blood, there is a predominance of growth factors in detriment of inflammatory mediators, plus healthy immunity cells and endothelial progenitor cells, which are essential for vascular “cleaning” and regeneration [ 197 ].…”

“…On the other hand, aged blood has predominance of proinflammatory factors, largely released by senescent cells [ 198 ]. In addition, there is a failure of the immune system, resulting in the accumulation of senescent cells in the vascular tissue, leading to a stressful environment, which is associated with the development and progression of CVDs [ 196 , 199 ].…”

Can Blood-Circulating Factors Unveil and Delay Your Biological Aging?

“…Isolation of active rejuvenation factors from blood plasma is an important strategy, as parabiosis itself is not clinically translatable: young-to-old human blood infusion would be ethically unacceptable and fraught with multiple side effects [ 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 ]. Besides, the critical factors functionally linked to aging are excellent biomarkers for biological age estimation.…”

“…It accumulates during physiological aging and autoimmune disorders [ 215 ]. Fewer reports describe accumulation of other age-related inflammatory factors, such as soluble TNF receptor-1 (TNFR-1), Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) also known as CCL2, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), Nitric Oxide Synthase, Inducible (iNOS/ Nos2 ) [ 113 , 216 ]. Recently, several important factors—potential indicators of age-related inflammation—were reported.…”

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Inflammaging in Heart Failure: Novel Roles of CYP-Derived Epoxylipids

“…“Inflammaging” refers to chronic low-grade inflammation resulting from long term physiologic activation of the innate immune system in the absence of overt infections [ 36 ]. Potential mechanisms of inflammaging include genetic susceptibility, cellular senescence, impaired autophagy, changes to microbiota composition, oxidative stress and dysfunctional mitochondria [ 29 , 37 , 38 ]. Chronic inflammation contributes to the decline in cardiac function, increased size of cardiomyocytes and myocardial fibrosis, furthering the development and progression of HF [ 39 , 40 ].…”