| First Author | Kane AD | Year | 2016 |
| Journal | Sci Rep | Volume | 6 |
| Pages | 25979 | PubMed ID | 27181166 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:266712 | Mgi Id | MGI:6218347 |
| Doi | 10.1038/srep25979 | Citation | Kane AD, et al. (2016) Impaired Nitric Oxide Mediated Vasodilation In The Peripheral Circulation In The R6/2 Mouse Model Of Huntington's Disease. Sci Rep 6:25979 |
| abstractText | Recent evidence shows that the Huntington's disease (HD) extends beyond the nervous system to other sites, including the cardiovascular system. Further, the cardiovascular pathology pre-dates neurological decline, however the mechanisms involved remain unclear. We investigated in the R6/2 mouse model of HD nitric oxide (NO) dependent and independent endothelial mechanisms. Femoral artery reactivity was determined by wire myography in wild type (WT) and R6/2 mice at 12 and 16 weeks of adulthood. WT mice showed increased endothelial relaxation between 12 and 16 weeks (Rmax: 72 +/- 7% vs. 97 +/- 13%, P < 0.05). In contrast, R6/2 mice showed enhanced endothelial relaxation already by 12 weeks (Rmax at 12w: 72 +/- 7% vs. 94 +/- 5%, WT vs. R6/2, P < 0.05) that declined by 16 weeks compared with WT mice (Rmax at 16w: 97 +/- 13% vs. 68 +/- 7%, WT vs. R6/2, P < 0.05). In WT mice, the increase in femoral relaxation between 12 and 16 weeks was due to enhanced NO dependent mechanisms. By 16 weeks of adult age, the R6/2 mouse developed overt endothelial dysfunction due to an inability to increase NO dependent vasodilation. The data add to the growing literature of non-neural manifestations of HD and implicate NO depletion as a key mechanism underlying the HD pathophysiology in the peripheral vasculature. |