Loss of Mitochondrial Function with Age in Monocytes may Contribute to the Development of Atherosclerosis

Macrophage cells are derived from circulating monocytes, and, among many other tasks, are responsible for clearing out lipid deposits from blood vessel walls. The conventional view on the age-related nature of atherosclerosis, the build up of fatty deposits that narrow and weaken blood vessels, is that macrophages are vulnerable to oxidized lipids, particularly oxidized cholesterols such as 7-ketocholesterol. These oxidized lipids are far more prevalent in older people, a consequence of the cellular damage of aging. Macrophages in old tissues are overwhelmed by oxidized lipids and become inflammatory, dysfunctional foam cells, and then die, adding their debris to a growing atherosclerotic plaque. Researchers here argue that the well known decline in mitochondrial function found in all tissues also affects the behavior of monocytes and macrophages in significant ways. Thus loss of mitochondrial function may make a meaningful contribution to the development of atherosclerosis, and methods of restoring mitochondrial function may help to slow the onset of the condition by making macrophages more resilient to the aged environment. As ever, determining the relative size of different contributing mechanisms is a challenging process. The only practical way forward is to put a halt to each different mechanism in isolation, and then observe the results. Age-related changes at the cellular level include the dysregulation of metabolic and signaling pathways. Analyses of b...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs