Advancing age alters the expression of the ryanodine receptor 3 isoform in adult rat superior cervical ganglia.

Sympathetic nerves arising from the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) protect the cerebrovasculature during periods of acute hypertension and may play a role in homeostasis of target organs. The functions of these nerves depend on calcium release triggered by activation of ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels. The function of RyR channels is in part dependent on genetic expression and regulation by numerous protein modulators such as neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) neurons also found in the SCG. We have shown that release of calcium in SCG cells is altered during late maturation and advancing age. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that may in part account for these data are elusive. Therefore we used molecular techniques to test the hypothesis that advancing age alters the pattern of genetic expression and/or protein levels of RyRs and their modulation by nNOS in the SCG in F344 rats aged 6, 12, and 24 mo. Surprisingly, ryr1 expression was undetectable in all age groups and ryr2 and ryr3 are the predominantly transcribed isoforms in the adult rat SCG. mRNA and protein levels for RyR2 isoform did not change with advancing age. However, ryr3 mRNA levels increased from 6 to 12 mo and declined from 12 to 24 mo. Similarly, RyR3 receptor protein levels also increased from 6 to 12 mo and declined from 12 to 24 mo. Because nNOS and the phosphorylation of the RyRs have been shown to modulate the function of RyRs, total phosphorylation and nNOS protein levels were analyzed in all age groups. Phosphorylation levels of the RyRs were similar in all age groups. However, nNOS protein levels increased from 6 to 12 mo followed by decline from 12 to 24 mo. These data suggest that advancing age selectively impacts the genetic expression and protein levels of RyR3 as well as modulatory nNOS protein levels. In addition, these data may part provide some insight into the possible changes in the function of RyRs that may occur with the normal aging process.