Abstract 441: The Role of Brown Adipose Tissue in Aging-Induced Cardiovascular Impairments

Adults age 65 and older are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States population and pose a significant healthcare challenge. Among several other physiological changes, aging is notably associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Aging leads to a decrease in brown adipose tissue (BAT), a thermogenic tissue rich in mitochondria that converts chemical energy into thermal energy. Importantly, BAT plays a role in combatting metabolic and cardiovascular impairments. Thus, while it is known that aging is associated with both impaired cardiovascular function as well as decreased BAT mass, the specific role of BAT in age-induced impairments in cardiac function remains unknown. For this study, we utilized an old C57BL/6 mouse population (18 months of age) that was divided to sham-operated (control), +BAT (mice surgically transplanted with BAT), and -BAT (or BATless; mice in which BAT was surgically removed) groups. Echocardiography was performed before (baseline) and 3 months after surgery (BAT transplantation or removal). Our data show that mice transplanted with BAT had enhanced cardiac function compared to control, suggesting that increasing BAT mass can reverse age-induced cardiac dysfunction. Moreover, removal of BAT not only resulted in a further deterioration of cardiac function but also adverse remodeling, suggesting that a decrease in BAT is detrimental to the heart. In conclusion, the decrease in BAT as we age plays a significant role in the cardiac dysfunction with senescence and that increasing BAT mass may be a novel therapeutic approach.