| First Author | Zhang X | Year | 2003 |
| Journal | Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol | Volume | 285 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | R552-60 |
| PubMed ID | 12909581 | Mgi Jnum | J:85404 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2675135 | Doi | 10.1152/ajpregu.00631.2002 |
| Citation | Zhang X, et al. (2003) Model of functional cardiac aging: young adult mice with mild overexpression of serum response factor. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 285(3):R552-60 |
| abstractText | Serum response factor (SRF) is an important transcription factor that may have a role in the maintenance of cardiac structure and function. The level of SRF mRNA expression increases approximately 16% in the hearts of mice during adult aging. To model the effect of mild SRF elevation in the aging heart, transgenic mice with low levels of SRF overexpression were generated. By 6 mo of age, the transgenic mice had a 19% increase of heart-to-body weight ratio compared with nontransgenic mice. In addition, they had a 12% increase in myocyte size, a 6.7% increase in collagen deposition, and altered gene expression of a number of muscle-specific and cardiac genes. Doppler echocardiography revealed that these transgenic mice had increased left ventricular wall thickness and decreased left ventricular (LV) volumes, increased LV stiffness with 20% reduction in early diastolic LV filling (peak E), and 35% decline in peak E-to-peak A (late diastolic filling) ratio. The observed changes, especially those in the E/A ratio, are similar to those seen clinically in late life as a part of human adult myocardial aging. |
