Increased Age-Related Cardiac Dysfunction in Bradykinin B2 Receptor-Deficient Mice

Experimental evidence indicates that the kinin peptide binds to bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) to trigger various beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of B2R in cardiac aging remain unknown. A significant age-dependent decrease in B2R expression in the myocardium was observed in C57BL/6J mice. Echocardiographic measurements showed that aging caused a significant cardiac dysfunction in C57BL/6J mice, and importantly B2R deficiency augmented this dysfunction in aging mice. The deficiency of B2R expression in the aging heart repressed p53-pGC-1a-induced mitochondria renewal, increased reactive oxygen species production, and destroyed mitochondrial ultrastructure. Age-related decrease or lack of B2R increased oxidative stress, macrophage infiltration, and inflammatory cytokine expression and compromised antioxidant enzyme expression. Moreover, the inflammatory signals were mainly mediated by the activation of p38 MAPK, JNK, and subsequent translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B to the nucleus. In summary, our data provide evidence that B2R deficiency contributes to the aging-induced cardiac dysfunction, which is likely mediated by increased mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation. This study indicates that preventing the loss of cardioprotective B2R expression may be a novel approach for the prevention and treatment of age-related cardiac dysfunction.