Depressed pacemaker activity of sinoatrial node myocytes contributes to the age-dependent decline in maximum heart rate

An inexorable decline in maximum heart rate (mHR) progressively limits human aerobic capacity with advancing age. This decrease in mHR results from an age-dependent reduction in “intrinsic heart rate” (iHR), which is measured during autonomic blockade. The reduced iHR indicates, by definition, that pacemaker function of the sinoatrial node is compromised during aging. However, little is known about the properties of pacemaker myocytes in the aged sinoatrial node. Here, we show that depressed excitability of individual sinoatrial node myocytes (SAMs) contributes to reductions in heart rate with advancing age. We found that age-dependent declines in mHR and iHR in ECG recordings from mice were paralleled by declines in spontaneous action potential (AP) firing rates (FRs) in patch-clamp recordings from acutely isolated SAMs. The slower FR of aged SAMs resulted from changes in the AP waveform that were limited to hyperpolarization of the maximum diastolic potential and slowing of the early part of the diastolic depolarization. These AP waveform changes were associated with cellular hypertrophy, reduced current densities for L- and T-type Ca ²⁺ currents and the “funny current” (I f), and a hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of I f. The age-dependent reduction in sinoatrial node function was not associated with changes in β-adrenergic responsiveness, which was preserved during aging for heart rate, SAM FR, L- and T-type Ca ²⁺ currents, and I f. Our results indicate that depressed excitability of individual SAMs due to altered ion channel activity contributes to the decline in mHR, and thus aerobic capacity, during normal aging.