Search results for "function"
showing 10 items of 14432 documents
Peripheral Maintenance of the Axis SIRT1-SIRT3 at Youth Level May Contribute to Brain Resilience in Middle-Aged Amateur Rugby Players
2019
Physical exercise performed regularly is known to improve health and to reduce the risk of age-related diseases. Furthermore, there is some evidence of cognitive improvement in physically active middle-aged and older adults. We hypothesized that long-term physically active middle-aged men may have developed brain resilience that can be detected with the analysis of peripheral blood markers. We aimed to analyze the activation of pathways potentially modulated by physical activity in a cohort of healthy amateur rugby players (n = 24) and control subjects with low physical activity (n = 25) aged 45¿65 years. We had previously reported neuropsychological improvement in immediate memory response…
Neuronal inhibition of the autophagy nucleation complex extends life span in post-reproductive C. elegans
2017
Autophagy is a ubiquitous catabolic process that causes cellular bulk degradation of cytoplasmic components and is generally associated with positive effects on health and longevity. Inactivation of autophagy has been linked with detrimental effects on cells and organisms. The antagonistic pleiotropy theory postulates that some fitness-promoting genes during youth are harmful during aging. On this basis, we examined genes mediating post-reproductive longevity using an RNAi screen. From this screen, we identified 30 novel regulators of post-reproductive longevity, including pha-4. Through downstream analysis of pha-4, we identified that the inactivation of genes governing the early stages of…
Cardiac Nonmyocyte Cell Functions and Crosstalks in Response to Cardiotoxic Drugs
2017
The discovery of the molecular mechanisms involved in the cardiac responses to anticancer drugs represents the current goal of cardio-oncology research. The oxidative stress has a pivotal role in cardiotoxic responses, affecting the function of all types of cardiac cells, and their functional crosstalks. Generally, cardiomyocytes are the main target of research studies on cardiotoxicity, but recently the contribution of the other nonmyocyte cardiac cells is becoming of growing interest. This review deals with the role of oxidative stress, induced by anticancer drugs, in cardiac nonmyocyte cells (fibroblasts, vascular cells, and immune cells). The alterations of functional interplays among t…
Protective Effects of Polyphenols Present in Mediterranean Diet on Endothelial Dysfunction
2020
Endothelial dysfunction tends to be the initial indicator in proinflammatory state and macro- and microvascular complications, such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. It has been shown that certain compounds in diet can generate beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease due to its interactions with endothelial cells. Thus, this review is aimed at investigating whether certain polyphenols present in the Mediterranean diet, specifically catechin, quercetin, resveratrol, and urolithin, could exert positive effects on endothelial dysfunction. After analysis of numerous papers, we found that polyphenols aiding endothelial function is beneficial not only for patients with cardiova…
Targeting the Endoplasmic Reticulum Unfolded Protein Response to Counteract the Oxidative Stress-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction
2017
In endothelial cells, the tight control of the redox environment is essential for the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. The imbalance between ROS production and antioxidant response can induce endothelial dysfunction, the initial event of many cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have revealed that the endoplasmic reticulum could be a new player in the promotion of the pro- or antioxidative pathways and that in such a modulation, the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways play an essential role. The UPR consists of a set of conserved signalling pathways evolved to restore the proteostasis during protein misfolding within the endoplasmic reticulum. Although the first outcome of the U…
Role of non-coding RNAs in age-related vascular cognitive impairment: An overview on diagnostic/prognostic value in Vascular Dementia and Vascular Pa…
2020
Age is the pivotal risk factor for different common medical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and dementia. Among age-related disorders, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, represent the leading causes of premature mortality strictly related to vascular ageing, a pathological condition characterized by endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. These features negatively impact on the brain, owing to altered cerebral blood flow, neurovascular coupling and impaired endothelial permeability leading to cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs) as Vascular Dementia (VD) and Parkinsonism (VP). It is an increasing opinion that neurodegenerativ…
120 min/week of neuromotor multicomponent training are enough to improve executive function and functional fitness in older women.
2021
Purpose: The study aimed at comparing the effects of a neuromotor multicomponent training program (MCTP) on executive function, functional fitness, blood pressure, body composition and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), compared with a concurrent strength and endurance exercise training program (CONTROL-EXE) and a cognitive training program (CONTROL-COG). Methods: 56 older women (73 ± 6 years) completed the 30-weeks intervention. The three groups attended two 60-min sessions per week and they were assessed before and after the intervention. Results: MCTP showed a moderate improvement in Stroop C condition (28 ± 7 vs 32 ± 8 correct items; p = 0.001; d = 0.53) and Stroop interference sco…
Biological and biophysics aspects of metformin-induced effects: cortex mitochondrial dysfunction and promotion of toxic amyloid pre-fibrillar aggrega…
2016
The onset of Alzheimer disease (AD) is influenced by several risk factors comprising diabetes. Within this context, antidiabetic drugs, including metformin, are investigated for their effect on AD. We report that in the C57B6/J mice, metformin is delivered to the brain where activates AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), its molecular target. This drug affects the levels of β- secretase (BACE1) and β-amyloid precursor protein (APP), promoting processing and aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ), mainly in the cortex region. Moreover, metformin induces mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death by affecting the level and conformation of Translocase of the Outer Membrane 40 (TOM40), voltage-dependent anion-sel…
Precuneus Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease With Mild Cognitive Impairment.
2018
Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) frequently occurs in Parkinson's disease (PD). Neurovascular changes interact with neurodegenerative processes in PD. However, the deficits of cerebral blood flow (CBF) perfusion and the associated functional connectivity (FC) in PD patients with MCI (PD-MCI) remain unclear. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the specific neurovascular perfusion alterations in PD-MCI compared to PD with normal cognition (PD-NC) and healthy controls (HCs), and to further examine the resultant whole brain FC changes in the abnormal perfusion regions. Methods: Relative CBF (rCBF) was calculated using arterial spin labeling (ASL) in 54 patients with PD (27 patients …
Atrial fibrillation and cognitive disorders: An overview on possible correlation
2020
Atrial Fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia affecting people of all ages, principally the elderly. Cognitive decline and dementia are also prevalent diseases in elderly. The scientific community always showed interest in the possible association between these two pathological entities, both implicating social and economic burden. This has been confirmed by several longitudinal population-based studies. Some studies also revealed that the association between atrial fibrillation and dementia may be not related to history of stroke. Therefore, other pathophysiological mechanisms are likely implicated, so far unclear or undefined. The aim of the present review is to analyse the po…