doi: 10.1161/hs1101.098520
(Stroke. 2001;32:2472.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions |
Age-Related Effects on Atherogenesis and Scavenger Enzymes of Intracranial and Extracranial Arteries in Men Without Classic Risk Factors for Atherosclerosis
From the Departments of Medicine, Gerontology, and Human Pathology (F.P.D., F.d.N., M.R.D., P.A., M.C., C.N.), Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy; the Departments of Medical Toxicology and Anesthesiology (A.B., G.C.), University of Catania, Catania, Italy; the Department of Medicine (W.P., C.N.), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, Calif; and the Department of Medicine (A.B., D.M.C.), Division of Cardiology, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa.
Correspondence to Claudio Napoli, MD, Department of Medicine-0682, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093. E-mail cnapoli{at}ucsd.edu
Background and Purpose—— Atherosclerosis occurs later and is less extensive in intracranial arteries than in extracranial arteries. However, the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. A previous study has suggested a better antioxidant protection of intracranial arteries.
Methods—— To assess the influence of age on arterial activity of antioxidant enzymes and atherogenesis, we compared intracranial and extracranial arteries of humans of different ages who retrospectively lacked confounding classic risk factors (48 premature fetuses aged 6.4±0.8 months [mean±SD], 58 children aged 7.9±3.8 years, 42 adults aged 42.5±5.1 years, and 40 elderly subjects aged 71.8±3.4 years; all males). Lesions were quantified by computer-assisted imaging analysis of sections of the middle cerebral and basilar arteries, the left anterior descending coronary artery, the common carotid artery, and the abdominal aorta. Macrophages, apolipoprotein B, oxidized LDL, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in lesions were determined by immunocytochemistry. The effect of aging on atherogenesis was then compared with that on the activity of 4 antioxidant enzymes in the arterial wall.
Results—— Atherosclerosis was 6- to 19-fold greater (P<0.01) in extracranial arteries than in intracranial arteries, and it increased linearly with age. Intracranial arteries showed significantly greater antioxidant enzyme activities than did extracranial arteries. However, the antioxidant protection of intracranial arteries decreased significantly in older age, coinciding with a marked acceleration of atherogenesis. An increase in matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein expression and in gelatinolytic activity consistent with the degree of intracranial atherosclerosis was also observed.
Conclusions—— These results suggest that a greater activity of antioxidant enzymes in intracranial arteries may contribute to their greater resistance to atherogenesis and that with increasing age intracranial arteries respond with accelerated atherogenesis when their antioxidant protection decreases relatively more than that of extracranial arteries.
Editorial Comment
Department of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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