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Review
. 2021 Sep 8:2:727604.
doi: 10.3389/fragi.2021.727604. eCollection 2021.

Vascular Aging in Rodent Models: Contrasting Mechanisms Driving the Female and Male Vascular Senescence

Paula R Barros  1 , Tiago J Costa  1 , Eliana H Akamine  2 , Rita C Tostes  1
Affiliations
Review

Vascular Aging in Rodent Models: Contrasting Mechanisms Driving the Female and Male Vascular Senescence

Paula R Barros et al. Front Aging. .

Abstract

Increasing scientific interest has been directed to sex as a biological and decisive factor on several diseases. Several different mechanisms orchestrate vascular function, as well as vascular dysfunction in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in males and females. Certain vascular sex differences are present throughout life, while others are more evident before the menopause, suggesting two important and correlated drivers: genetic and hormonal factors. With the increasing life expectancy and aging population, studies on aging-related diseases and aging-related physiological changes have steeply grown and, with them, the use of aging animal models. Mouse and rat models of aging, the most studied laboratory animals in aging research, exhibit sex differences in many systems and physiological functions, as well as sex differences in the aging process and aging-associated cardiovascular changes. In the present review, we introduce the most common aging and senescence-accelerated animal models and emphasize that sex is a biological variable that should be considered in aging studies. Sex differences in the cardiovascular system, with a focus on sex differences in aging-associated vascular alterations (endothelial dysfunction, remodeling and oxidative and inflammatory processes) in these animal models are reviewed and discussed.

Keywords: aging; sex difference; vascular aging; vascular dysfunction; vascular senescence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Connections within the vascular system, aging and sex themes. The Concept map was elaborated using the Leximancer algorithm, the original manuscripts and the keywords: aging, senescence, female, male, endothelium and vascular dysfunction. The lines between the concepts (grey circles) show typical pathways linking the concept terms. The size of the grey circles indicates the overall relative frequency of concepts.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Mechanisms associated with sex differences in vascular aging. Figure illustrates vascular and PVAT age-associated alterations observed in male and female; from differences in age onset of vascular dysfunction (males show higher senescence rates than females) to different mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction, vascular remodeling and oxidative and inflammatory processes as men and women age increases. Abbreviations: LH, Luteinizing Hormone; FSH, Follicle-stimulating hormone; TXA2, Thromboxane; ERα, Estrogen receptor alpha; ERβ, Estrogen receptor; ROS, Reactive Oxygen Species.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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