Selective phosphodiesterase 1 inhibition ameliorates vascular function, reduces inflammatory response, and lowers blood pressure in aging animals

Diminished nitric oxide-cGMP-mediated relaxation plays a crucial role in cardiovascular aging, leading to decreased vasodilation, vascular hypertrophy and stiffening, and ultimately, cardiovascular dysfunction. Aging is the time-related worsening of physiologic function due to complex cellular and molecular interactions, and it is at least partly driven by DNA damage. Genetic deletion of the DNA repair enzyme ERCC1 endonuclease in Ercc1D/- mice provides us an efficient tool to accelerate vascular aging, explore mechanisms, and test potential treatments. Previously, we identified the cGMP-degrading enzyme phosphodiesterase 1 as a potential treatment target in vascular aging. In the present study, we studied the effect of acute and chronic treatment with ITI-214, a selective phosphodiesterase 1 inhibitor on vascular aging features in Ercc1D/- mice. Compared with wild-type mice, Ercc1D/- mice at the age of 14 weeks showed decreased reactive hyperemia, diminished endothelium-dependent and -independent responses of arteries in organ baths, carotid wall hypertrophy, and elevated circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines. Acute ITI-214 treatment in organ baths restored the arterial endothelium-independent vasodilation in Ercc1D/- mice. An 8-week treatment with 100 mg/kg per day ITI-214 improved endothelium-independent relaxation in both aorta and coronary arteries, at least partly restored the diminished reactive hyperemia, lowered the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, normalized the carotid hypertrophy, and ameliorated inflammatory responses exclusively in Ercc1D/- mice. These findings suggest phosphodiesterase 1 inhibition would provide a powerful tool for nitric oxide-cGMP augmentation and have significant therapeutic potential to battle arteriopathy related to aging