Absence of Cardiotrophin 1 Is Associated With Decreased Age-Dependent Arterial Stiffness and Increased Longevity in Mice.

The article discusses the results of a study that examines the association of the absence of cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1), an interleukin 6 family, with arterial fibrosis and stiffness, senescence and life span. Chronic CT-1 stimulation upregulated apoptotic and senescence markers and downregulated telomere-linked proteins in vascular smooth muscle cells. It concludes that CT-1 may be a major arterial stiffness regulator.