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Access through your institution Buy or subscribe The naked mole-rat (NMR), known for its extreme longevity, has emerged as a promising new model for studying aging. Understanding the
mechanisms behind NMR’s resistance to hypoxia and cardiovascular injury is important for cardiovascular research. A study in _Nature Communications_ identifies the unique NMR’s genetic and
metabolic adaptations to their underground low-oxygen environment. Comparing cardiac gene expression in NMR and C57/BL6 mice showed highly expressed genes that are unique to NMR. Metabolomic
profiling of cardiac tissue showed increased energy reserves in NMRs, such as cardiac glycogen and creatine, compared to other mole rats and the mouse model. Additionally, NMR showed an
increase in the expression of HIF-1α, a protein related to oxygen homeostasis in cells, when compared to mouse models under normal oxygen conditions. Finally, when exposing NMR and
mouse-isolated hearts to ischemia and reperfusion, NMR hearts showed resistance to ischemia and reperfusion injury with smaller infarct sizes. Overall, understanding the extreme adaptations,
especially the energetic ones, of this underground rodent opens an avenue for future cardiovascular treatments. ORIGINAL REFERENCE: Faulkes, C.G. et al. _Nat. Commun_. 15, 2204 (2024) This
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* Read our FAQs * Contact customer support AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Lab Animal http://www.nature.com/laban/ Jorge Ferreira Authors * Jorge Ferreira View author
publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Jorge Ferreira. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS
ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Ferreira, J. Naked mole-rats hearts resist hypoxic stress. _Lab Anim_ 53, 109 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-024-01372-9 Download citation * Published: 03
May 2024 * Issue Date: May 2024 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-024-01372-9 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable
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