Aging is a fundamental biological process characterized by progressive decline in physiological integrity, affecting nearly all organ systems, including the heart. Aging leads to increasing susceptibility to heart failure, arrhythmias, and ischemic heart disease. Structurally, left ventricular (LV) wall thickening, interstitial fibrosis, and alterations in myocardial composition are commonly observed with aging. Functionally, aging impairs both systolic and diastolic performance, often leading to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Fig. 1 Overview of age-related changes in cardiac structure and function. (Agrawal T and Nagueh SF, 2022)
CD BioSciences offers comprehensive preclinical services for systematically evaluating and quantifying cardiac aging, enabling researchers and pharmaceutical companies to understand how aging affects cardiac structure and function.
How Do We Analyze Cardiac Cell Senescence?
Analyzing cardiac cell senescence is essential for understanding the aging process and its impact on heart health. CD BioSciences offers a panel of validated assays that enable researchers to characterize senescence in cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells (ECs), cardiac fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and valve interstitial cells (VICs).
At CD BioSciences, we use advanced imaging techniques to visualize cellular changes. We offer senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining for both cell cultures and cardiac tissue cryosections. Furthermore, we use flow cytometry to characterize specific markers of senescence, such as p16INK4a and p21CIP1.
How Do We Analyze Age-Related Changes in Cardiac Structure and Function?
Understanding how aging changes cardiac structure and function is essential. CD BioSciences has established a reliable platform to analyze cardiac structure and function in mice, rats, and large animal models.
Measurement of left ventricular dimensions
Measurement of left ventricular dimensions in animal models is crucial for understanding the impact of aging on cardiac structure. By employing two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography, we support clients in quantifying changes in chamber dimensions, including left ventricular internal diameter (LVID), interventricular septal thickness (IVSd), and posterior wall thickness (LVPWd), which are indicative of hypertrophy and dilation associated with aging. We also help calculate age-related changes in left ventricular mass, normalized to body size, to detect age-dependent concentric remodeling.
Analysis of echocardiographic systolic function
Systolic function is primarily assessed through the measurement of ejection fraction (EF), which quantifies the percentage of blood ejected from the ventricle during contraction. CD BioSciences employs Doppler echocardiography to determine EF and assess the blood flow velocity, providing a comprehensive view of cardiac aging.
Analysis of echocardiographic diastolic function
Impaired ventricular relaxation and increased chamber stiffness are among the earliest and most consistent manifestations of cardiac aging. Aging alters the balance of early (E) and late (A) diastolic filling. We quantify the E/A ratio, deceleration time (DT), and isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) to detect impaired compliance and relaxation. By measuring E' and A' velocities and calculating the E/E' ratio, we estimate ventricular filling pressure, a key index of diastolic dysfunction in aged animals.
Analysis of myocardial performance index (MPI)
The myocardial performance index, also called the Tei index, integrates systolic and diastolic time intervals into a single metric, offering a comprehensive view of age-related cardiac dysfunction. We offer services to measure isovolumetric contraction time (IVCT), relaxation time (IVRT), and ejection time (ET) to calculate the myocardial performance index. Aged animals typically exhibit elevated MPI values, reflecting global myocardial dysfunction.
Understanding cardiac aging is crucial for developing effective anti-aging therapeutics to mitigate cardiovascular disease. At CD BioScience, we are committed to providing analysis of age-related cardiac structural and functional modifications to support the discovery and development of anti-aging therapeutics. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us or make an online inquiry.
References
- Kang R, et al. Age-Related Shift in Cardiac and Metabolic Phenotyping Linked to Inflammatory Cytokines and Antioxidant Status in Mice. Int J Mol Sci, 2023, 24 (21): 15841.
- Agrawal T, Nagueh SF. Changes in cardiac structure and function with aging. J Cardiovasc Aging, 2022, 2: 13.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
