Molecular analysis of aging heart in female nonhuman primates.

The goal of this study was to determine the mechanisms underlying age-associated changes in the heart. Heart samples (n=35) were collected from female baboons aged 7.5 to 22.1 years (human equivalent 30 to 88 years). RNA-Seq data from these samples were analyzed by weighted-gene correlation network analysis and pathway enrichment. The results revealed a metabolic shift from catabolic to anabolic pathways, leading to glycosaminoglycan accumulation in the extracellular matrix of the left ventricle through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. The study included 35 normal female baboons ranging in age from 7.5 to 22.1 years (human equivalent 30 to 88 years). Heart tissue samples from the left ventricles were collected at necropsy, snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80oC until use.