Human Physiology Seminar Series with Dr. Amanda LeBlanc

Talk title: "Aging in the Coronary Microcirculation: Influence of Sex, Mitochondria, and Cell Therapy Interventions”

Abstract of talk:

In aging post-menopausal women, Coronary Microvascular Disease (CMD) leads to hyperconstricted tone, reduced perfusion and chronic micro-ischemia with angina. This is in line with our previous data that show that aged female rats exhibit dilatory dysfunction similar to males, but show hyperconstriction to agonists in opposition to what was observed in males as they age. We have shown an age-related increase in coronary microvascular ROS alongside increased prooxidant gene and protein expression associated with blunted vasodilation. Adipose Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) is a heterogenous cell population that reduces vascular ROS to improve vasodilation. Oxidative stress with aging may be mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction, including fission/fusion imbalance. This presentation will describe our efforts in reversing age-related coronary microvascular dysfunction in aging females via SVF therapy and our most recent use of a mitochondrial-targeted diet to alter fission/fusion relationship.