Brief Article
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 28, 2013; 19(48): 9439-9446
Published online Dec 28, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i48.9439
Oxidative stress induces gastric submucosal arteriolar dysfunction in the elderly
Lei Liu, Yan Liu, Jie Cui, Hong Liu, Yan-Bing Liu, Wei-Li Qiao, Hong Sun, Chang-Dong Yan
Lei Liu, Jie Cui, Wei-Li Qiao, Hong Sun, Chang-Dong Yan, Department of Physiology, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
Yan Liu, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
Hong Liu, Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
Yan-Bing Liu, Department of Anesthesiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Yan CD and Sun H designed the research; Liu L, Liu H, Liu Y, Cui J, Liu YB, Qiao WL performed the research; Liu L, Liu Y and Yan CD analyzed the data and wrote the paper.
Supported by The Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China, No. BK2009088; and the Natural Science Fund for Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province, No. 10KJB310015
Correspondence to: Chang-Dong Yan, MD, Department of Physiology, Xuzhou Medical College, No. 209, Tongshan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu Province, China. yancd55@163.com
Telephone: +86-516-83262105 Fax: +86-516-83262014
Received: September 26, 2013
Revised: November 5, 2013
Accepted: November 12, 2013
Published online: December 28, 2013
Processing time: 110 Days and 4.5 Hours
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate human gastric submucosal vascular dysfunction and its mechanism during the aging process.

METHODS: Twenty male patients undergoing subtotal gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. Young and elderly patient groups aged 25-40 years and 60-85 years, respectively, were included. Inclusion criteria were: no clinical evidence of cardiovascular, renal or diabetic diseases. Conventional clinical examinations were carried out. After surgery, gastric submucosal arteries were immediately dissected free of fat and connective tissue. Vascular responses to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were measured by isolated vascular perfusion. Morphological changes in the gastric mucosal vessels were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Verhoeff van Gieson (EVG) staining. The expression of xanthine oxidase (XO) and manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) was assessed by Western blotting analysis. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were determined according to commercial kits.

RESULTS: The overall structure of vessel walls was shown by HE and EVG staining, respectively. Disruption of the internal elastic lamina or neointimal layers was not observed in vessels from young or elderly patients; however, cell layer number in the vessel wall increased significantly in the elderly group. Compared with submucosal arteries in young patients, the amount of vascular collagen fibers, lumen diameter and media cross-sectional area were significantly increased in elderly patients. Ach- and SNP-induced vasodilatation in elderly arterioles was significantly decreased compared with that of gastric submucosal arterioles from young patients. Compared with the young group, the expression of XO and the contents of MDA and H2O2 in gastric submucosal arterioles were increased in the elderly group. In addition, the expression of Mn-SOD and the activities of SOD and GSH-Px in the elderly group decreased significantly compared with those in the young group.

CONCLUSION: Gastric vascular dysfunction and senescence may be associated with increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidative defense in the aging process.

Keywords: Aging; Vascular dysfunction; Gastric blood flow; Oxidative stress; Human

Core tip: Aging is usually accompanied by a high risk of gastric disease. It is currently thought that adequate mucosal blood flow plays an important role in maintaining mucosal integrity. This study showed that oxidative stress induces gastric submucosal vascular structure dysfunction during the aging process. Vascular aging of gastric mucosa may lead to blood supply insufficiency, and thus increase the incidence of gastric diseases.