Search results for "Ageing"

Muscle Cross-Sectional Area and Structural Bone Strength Share Genetic and Environmental Effects in Older Women

2009

The purpose of this study was to estimate to what extent muscle cross-sectional area of the lower leg (mCSA) and tibial structural strength are influenced by common and trait-specific genetic and environmental factors. pQCT scans were obtained from both members of 102 monozygotic (MZ) and 113 dizygotic (DZ) 63- to 76-yr-old female twin pairs to estimate the mCSA of the lower leg, structural bending strength of the tibial shaft (BSIbend), and compressive strength of the distal tibia (BSIcomp). Quantitative genetic models were used to decompose the phenotypic variances into common and trait-specific additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and individual environmental (E) effects. The …

Low Grade Inflammation as a Common Pathogenetic Denominator in Age-Related Diseases: Novel Drug Targets for Anti-Ageing Strategies and Successful Age…

2010

Nowadays, people are living much longer than they used to do, however they are not free from ageing. Ageing, an inexorable intrinsic process that affects all cells, tissues, organs and individuals, is a post-maturational process that, due to a diminished homeostasis and increased organism frailty, causes a reduction of the response to environmental stimuli and, in general, is associated to an increased predisposition to illness and death. However, the high incidence of death due to infectious, cardiovascular and cancer diseases underlies a common feature in these pathologies that is represented by dysregulation of both instructive and innate immunity. Several studies show that a low-grade s…

Lack of correlation between apoptosis and DNA single-strand breaks in X-irradiated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the course of ageing

1998

The dependence on age of both the basal and the X-radiation-induced levels of apoptosis was examined in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In the same samples, the base value and the extent of induced DNA single-strand breaks were determined, using a sensitive and fast microplate assay. PBMC were isolated from blood of donors of various age groups (20-30, 40-60 and > 70 years of age) and X-irradiated ex vivo using a 6 MV linear accelerator to give a total exposure of 4 Gy. The mean basal levels of apoptosis in PBMC from donors in the 40-60 year age group and the > 70 year age group were found to be only slightly higher (by 20-10%) compared to that of the 20-30 year age group, …

Inflammatory networks in ageing, age-related diseases and longevity

2006

Inflammation is considered a response set by the tissues in response to injury elicited by trauma or infection. It is a complex network of molecular and cellular interactions that facilitates a return to physiological homeostasis and tissue repair. The individual response against infection and trauma is also determined by gene variability. Ageing is accompanied by chronic low-grade inflammation state clearly showed by 2-4-fold increase in serum levels of inflammatory mediators. A wide range of factors has been claimed to contribute to this state; however, the most important role seems to be played by the chronic antigenic stress, which affects immune system thorough out life with a progress…

Inflammation, ageing and cancer

2008

Cancer is generally recognized as an age-related disease. In fact, incidence and mortality rates of most human cancers increase consistently with age up to 90 years, but they plateau and decline thereafter. A low-grade systemic inflammation characterizes ageing and this pro-inflammatory status underlies biological mechanisms responsible for age-related inflammatory diseases. On the other hand, clinical and epidemiological studies show a strong association between chronic infection, inflammation and cancer and indicate that even in tumours not directly linked to pathogens, the microenvironment is characterized by the presence of a smouldering inflammation, fuelled primarily by stromal leukoc…

Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy modifies skeletal muscle composition and function: a study with monozygotic twin pairs

2009

We investigated whether long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with mobility and lower limb muscle performance and composition in postmenopausal women. Fifteen 54- to 62-yr-old monozygotic female twin pairs discordant for HRT were recruited from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Habitual (HWS) and maximal (MWS) walking speeds over 10 m, thigh muscle composition, lower body muscle power assessed as vertical jumping height, and maximal isometric hand grip and knee extension strengths were measured. Intrapair differences (IPD%) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The mean duration of HRT use was 6.9 ± 4.1 yr. MWS was on average 7% (0.9 to 13.1%, P = 0.019) and muscle…

The dual role of p53: DNA protection and antioxidant.

2011

The classical functions of p53 protein are those related to its role on DNA damage, cell growth arrest, senescence and apoptosis. For this reason it is called 'the guardian of the genome' and is considered one of the most important players in the development of cancer. However, more recently it has been show that p53 is not only involved in cancer, but also in ageing. p53 is stimulated by stress, which in turn results in the activation of a wide range of transcriptional targets. Low-intensity stress will activate p53 in a manner which results in antioxidant response, thus protecting against ageing because of its antioxidant function. On the contrary, high-intensity activation of p53 will re…

O101 : Histone variant macroH2A1 orchestrates escape from hepatocyte senescence during ageing and cancer

2015

Long-term effects of delayed parenthood.

1998

The present study aims to define, characterize and compare the long-term effects on offspring of delayed parenthood. Data published so far on this topic show that maternal and paternal ageing may affect offspring by different mechanisms. Delayed motherhood is characterized by increased probability of obstetric complications and/or fetal and perinatal problems which, in turn, may increase the risks of mortality and morbidity in newborns and later life. Furthermore, maternal ageing is distinguished by a decreased ratio of male to female infants and higher odds of conceiving a trisomic child and/or an individual suffering from mitochondrial DNA disorders. In contrast, delayed fatherhood is ass…

Hsp60 and Hsp10 in Ageing

2009

HSP and molecular chaperones, both referred to in this chapter as chaperones, are key players in development and senescence. With regard to senescence, several issues are critical: the role of normal chaperones in the process of ageing itself and in preventing and controlling age-associated diseases, the role of defective chaperones (chaperonopathies) in the onset and progression of senescence and in the etiology of old-age diseases, the interaction of chaperones with the immune system, and the potential of chaperones as therapeutic agents for counteracting the deleterious effects of ageing on molecules and cells and for treating proteinopathies of the elderly (chaperonotherapy). All these …