Aging impairs functional, metabolic and ionic recovery from ischemia-reperfusion and hypoxia-reoxygenation.

Functional and metabolic responses to ischemia-reperfusion and hypoxia-reoxygenation were studied in Langendorff perfused hearts from mature (2-4 months) and aged (18-24 months) Wistar rats. Hearts were subjected to 20 min global ischemia or hypoxia followed by 30 min reperfusion or reoxygenation. Cellular metabolism was assessed by 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Normoxic function, phosphate metabolite levels, and cytosolic free energy state (delta GATP) were comparable in both age groups, although free [5'-AMP] and purine efflux were elevated in aged hearts. There were no aging-related differences in phosphate metabolite levels, pH or delta GATP during ischemia or hypoxia. Nevertheless, ischemic and hypoxic contracture tended to be higher in aged hearts. After reperfusion, heart rate x left-ventricular pressure recovered to 55% of pre-ischemia in mature hearts, and only 25% in aged hearts. After reoxygenation, function recovered to 75% in mature hearts and 55% in aged hearts. Recoveries of cellular [ATP], [phosphocreatine], [inorganic phosphate] and [Mg2+] were impaired, and delta GATP was consistently depressed in aged v mature hearts, Impaired recovery of delta GATP was associated with enhanced purine efflux in aged hearts. Post-ischemic Na+ and Ca2+ accumulation was also increased by 30-40% in aged hearts. Tissue damage assessed by post-ischemic creatine kinase efflux was modest in mature hearts (< 2% total tissue activity) and was 2.5-fold higher in aged hearts. The data show that: (i) aging reduces contractile recovery from ischemia/hypoxia; (ii) this is unrelated to the metabolic insult during ischemia/hypoxia, but parallels reduced recovery of delta GATP [inorganic phosphate], [Mg2+]i [Na+] and [Ca2+]; and (iii) increased purine catabolism may contribute to poor metabolic recovery in aged hearts.