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Effects of BKCa Activation and ROS Scavenging on Aging Vasculature

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Aging blood vessels undergo physiological changes that result in reduced vasodilation, reduced responsiveness to stimuli, and increased stiffness. Specifically, older vasculature exhibits both increased ROS damage and reduced function of the vasoregulatory large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channel. We investigated if MitoTEMPO (a mitochondrial ROS scavenger) or rottlerin (a BKCa channel activator) can beneficially modulate vascular function in aged mouse aortas. Results showed that while both drugs significantly reduced vascular contraction in an age- dependent manner, they also reduced nitric oxide (NO) -mediated vasodilation. This negative trade-off suggests that these drugs may not be effective therapeutics for aging or diseased vessels.

  • This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.
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  • E-project-042617-083409
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  • 2017
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  • 2017-04-26
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