[Vascular calcification and anti-aging].

Vascular calcification encountered in atherosclerotic lesions is a common consequence of aging. We suggested that apoptosis plays an important role in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) calcification which is dependent on downregulation of the growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) -mediated survival pathway. Recently, we demonstrated that adiponectin antagonizes the stimulatory effect of TNF-alpha on vascular calcification by restoration of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) -dependent Gas6-mediated survival pathway. These results provide evidences of the effect of metabolic syndrome on vascular diseases including calcification.