Hypertrophy of cerebral arterioles in mice deficient in expression of the gene for CuZn superoxide dismutase.

Background And Purpose: Reactive oxygen species are believed to be an important determinant of vascular growth. We examined effects of genetic deficiency of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD; SOD1) on structure and function of cerebral arterioles.

Methods: Systemic arterial pressure (SAP) and cross-sectional area of the vessel wall (CSA) and superoxide (O2-) levels (relative fluorescence of ethidium [ETH]) were examined in maximally dilated cerebral arterioles in mice with targeted disruption of one (+/-) or both (-/-) genes encoding CuZnSOD. Wild-type littermates served as controls. Vasodilator responses were tested in separate groups of mice.

Results: CSA and ETH were significantly increased (P<0.05) in both CuZnSOD+/- and CuZnSOD-/- mice (CSA=435+/-24 and 541+/-48 microm2; ETH=18+/-1 and 34+/-2%) compared with wild-type mice (CSA=327+/-28 microm2; ETH=6%). Furthermore, the increases in CSA and ETH relative to wild-type mice were significantly greater (P<0.05) in CuZnSOD-/- mice than in CuZnSOD+/- mice (CSA=108 versus 214 microm2; ETH=12 versus 28%). In addition, dilatation of cerebral arterioles in response to acetylcholine, but not nitroprusside, was reduced by approximately 25% in CuZnSOD+/- (P<0.075) and 50% in CuZnSOD-/- mice (P<0.05) compared with wild-type mice.

Conclusions: Cerebral arterioles in CuZnSOD+/- and CuZnSOD-/- mice undergo marked hypertrophy. These findings provide the first direct evidence in any blood vessel that CuZnSOD normally inhibits vascular hypertrophy suggesting that CuZnSOD plays a major role in regulation of cerebral vascular growth. The findings also suggest a gene dosing effect of CuZnSOD for increases in O2-, induction of cerebral vascular hypertrophy and impaired endothelium-dependent dilatation.