Effects of Simulated Heat Waves on Cardiovascular Functions in Senile Mice

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Xiakun Zhang⁴  Jing Lu²  Shuyu Zhang¹  Chunling Wang³  Baojian Wang⁵  Pinwen Guo⁴ 

[1] Key Laboratory of Arid Climatic Change and Reducing Disaster of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Arid Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, 2070 Donggang East Road, Lanzhou 730020, China;Computer Science Department, Oklahoma State University, 219 MSCS, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; E-Mail:;School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, 219 Ningliu Road, Nanjing 210044, China; E-Mail:;School of Atmospheric Science, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, 219 Ningliu Road, Nanjing 210044, China; E-Mails:;Lanzhou Central Meteorological Observatory, 2070 Donggang East Road, Lanzhou 730020, China; E-Mail:

关键词: heat wave weather;    senile mice;    HSP60;    SOD;    TNF;    sICAM-1;    atherosclerosis;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph110807841

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The mechanism of the effects of simulated heat waves on cardiovascular disease in senile mice was investigated. Heat waves were simulated in a TEM1880 meteorological environment simulation chamber, according to a heat wave that occurred in July 2001 in Nanjing, China. Eighteen senile mice were divided into control, heat wave, and heat wave BH4 groups, respectively. Mice in the heat wave and heat wave BH4 groups were exposed to simulated heat waves in the simulation chamber. The levels of ET-1, NO, HSP60, SOD, TNF, sICAM-1, and HIF-1α in each group of mice were measured after heat wave simulation. Results show that heat waves decreased SOD activity in the myocardial tissue of senile mice, increased NO, HSP60, TNF, sICAM-1, and HIF-1α levels, and slightly decreased ET-1 levels, BH4 can relieve the effects of heat waves on various biological indicators. After a comprehensive analysis of the experiments above, we draw the followings conclusions regarding the influence of heat waves on senile mice: excess HSP60 activated immune cells, and induced endothelial cells and macrophages to secrete large amounts of ICAM-1, TNF-α, and other inflammatory cytokines, it also activated the inflammation response in the body and damaged the coronary endothelial cell structure, which increased the permeability of blood vessel intima and decreased SOD activity in cardiac tissues. The oxidation of lipoproteins in the blood increased, and large amounts of cholesterol were generated. Cholesterol penetrated the intima and deposited on the blood vessel wall, forming atherosclerosis and leading to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in senile mice. These results maybe are useful for studying the effects of heat waves on elderly humans, which we discussed in the discussion chapter.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.