Angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) is a beneficial reninâ??angiotensin system (RAS) hormone that elicits\nprotective cardiometabolic effects in young animal models of hypertension, obesity, and metabolic\nsyndrome. The impact of Ang-(1-7) on cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes during aging,\nhowever, remains unexplored. This study tested the hypothesis that Ang-(1-7) attenuates age-related\nelevations in blood pressure and insulin resistance in mice. Young adult (two-month-old) and aged\n(16-month-old) male C57BL/6J mice received Ang-(1-7) (400 ng/kg/min) or saline for six-weeks via a\nsubcutaneous osmotic mini-pump. Arterial blood pressure and metabolic function indices (body\ncomposition, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance) were measured at the end of treatment.\nAdipose and cardiac tissue masses and cardiac RAS, sympathetic and inflammatory marker gene\nexpression were also measured. We found that chronic Ang-(1-7) treatment decreased systolic\nand mean blood pressure, with a similar trend for diastolic blood pressure. Ang-(1-7) also improved\ninsulin sensitivity in aged mice to levels in young mice, without effects on glucose tolerance or body\ncomposition. The blood pressureâ??lowering effects of Ang-(1-7) in aged mice were associated with\nreduced sympathetic outflow to the heart. These findings suggest Ang-(1-7) may provide a novel\npharmacological target to improve age-related cardiometabolic risk.
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