| 1. |
- Dudhia, Jayesh, et al.
(author)
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Aging enhances a mechanically-induced reduction in tendon strength by an active process involving matrix metalloproteinase activity
- 2007
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In: Aging Cell. - : Wiley. - 1474-9726 .- 1474-9718. ; 6:4, s. 547-556
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Age-associated and degenerative loss of functional integrity in soft tissues develops from effects of cumulative and subtle changes in their extracellular matrix (ECM). The highly ordered tendon ECM provides the tissue with its tensile strength during loading. As age and exercise collude in the high incidence of tendinopathies, we hypothesized that aged tendons fail due to cumulative damage resulting from a combination of diminished matrix repair and fragmentation of ECM proteins induced by prolonged cyclical loading, and that this is an active cell-mediated process. We developed an equine tendon explant model to examine the effect of age on the influence of prolonged cyclical loading at physiologically relevant strain rates (5% strain, 1 Hz for 24 h) on tissue mechanical properties, loss of ECM protein and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression. We show significantly diminished mechanical strength of cyclically loaded tissue compared to controls (39.7 +/- 12%, P <= 0.05) this reduction was dependent on the presence of both viable cells and metalloproteinase activity. Furthermore, tendon from older specimens was more susceptible to weakening (11-30 years, 50% P <= 0.05) compared to immature and young mature tissue (1-3 years, 34%; 4-10 years, 35%, respectively). Cyclical load also induced release of degraded cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, an integral ECM protein, an effect that could be mimicked by culture with fibronectin fragments. These findings indicate prolonged cyclical loading of physiological magnitude decreases tendon tensile strength by an active process, and that MMPs may contribute to loss of functional competence, exaggerated by age, via load-induced proteolytic disruption of the ECM.
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| 2. |
- Ganfornina, Maria D., et al.
(author)
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Apolipoprotein D is involved in the mechanisms regulating protection from oxidative stress
- 2008
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In: Aging Cell. - : Wiley. - 1474-9726 .- 1474-9718. ; 7:4, s. 506-515
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many nervous system pathologies are associated with increased levels of apolipoprotein D (ApoD), a lipocalin also expressed during normal development and aging. An ApoD homologous gene in Drosophila, Glial Lazarillo, regulates resistance to stress, and neurodegeneration in the aging brain. Here we study for the first time the protective potential of ApoD in a vertebrate model organism. Loss of mouse ApoD function increases the sensitivity to oxidative stress and the levels of brain lipid peroxidation, and impairs locomotor and learning abilities. Human ApoD overexpression in the mouse brain produces opposite effects, increasing survival and preventing the raise of brain lipid peroxides after oxidant treatment. These observations, together with its transcriptional up-regulation in the brain upon oxidative insult, identify ApoD as an acute response protein with a protective and therefore beneficial function mediated by the control of peroxidated lipids.
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| 3. |
- Gibson, Kate L, et al.
(author)
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B-cell diversity decreases in old age and is correlated with poor health status
- 2009
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In: AGING CELL. - : Wiley. - 1474-9718 .- 1474-9726. ; 8:1, s. 18-25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Older people suffer from a decline in immune system, which affects their ability to respond to infections and to raise efficient responses to vaccines. Effective and specific antibodies in responses from older individuals are decreased in favour of non-specific antibody production. We investigated the B-cell repertoire in DNA samples from peripheral blood of individuals aged 86-94 years, and a control group aged 19-54 years, using spectratype analysis of the IGHV complementarity determining region (CDR)3. We found that a proportion of older individuals had a dramatic collapse in their B-cell repertoire diversity. Sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products from a selection of samples indicated that this loss of diversity was characterized by clonal expansions of B cells in vivo. Statistical analysis of the spectratypes enabled objective comparisons and showed that loss of diversity correlated very strongly with the general health status of the individuals; a distorted spectratype can be used to predict frailty. Correlations with survival and vitamin B12 status were also seen. We conclude that B-cell diversity can decrease dramatically with age and may have important implications for the immune health of older people. B-cell immune frailty is also a marker of general frailty.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Maklakov, Alexei A., et al.
(author)
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Sexual selection affects lifespan and aging in the seed beetle
- 2007
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In: Aging Cell. - : Wiley. - 1474-9718 .- 1474-9726. ; 6:6, s. 739-744
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sexual selection in general, and sexual conflict in particular, should affect the evolution of lifespan and aging. Using experimental evolution, we tested whether removal of sexual selection leads to the evolution of accelerated or decelerated senescence. We subjected replicated populations of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus to either of two selection regimes for 35 generations. These regimes either allowed (polygamy) or removed the potential (monogamy) for sexual selection to operate. To test for the evolution of intrinsic differences between the two selection regimes, we assayed longevity in replicate cohorts of virgin females and males. Virgin females from populations evolving under sexual selection had reduced lifespan as predicted by the sexual conflict theory of aging. However, this reduction was due to increased baseline mortality rather than an increase in age-specific mortality rates with age. We discuss these findings in light of other data from this model system and suggest that system-specific idiosyncrasies may often modulate the general effects of male-female coevolution on the evolution of aging.
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