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Gerontology 1994Limited research findings up-to-date with a few amphibian models do not permit a generalisation of ageing phenomena in the class Amphibia. Short-lived species of... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Review
Limited research findings up-to-date with a few amphibian models do not permit a generalisation of ageing phenomena in the class Amphibia. Short-lived species of amphibians show gradual senescence comparable to the pattern seen in laboratory mammals. Long-lived species (mostly urodeles) continue to grow throughout life and are believed to exhibit very slow or negligible senescence which is unobtrusive. In a few species with gradual senescence, there is some evidence of an increase in mortality rate and a decrease in growth rate with advancing age. Increase in cross-linking of collagen, accumulation of age pigments (lipofuscin and melanin), decrease in metabolism and loss of immunocompetence are ageing phenomena common to both amphibians and mammals. On the other hand, persistence of neurogenesis and myogenesis, continuance of oogenesis beyond adult life and polyphyodonty are some of the features peculiar to ageing in amphibians. More authenticated reports are needed to fill up the gaps in our knowledge on amphibian senescence.
Topics: Aging; Amphibians; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Collagen; Female; Longevity; Male; Regeneration; Reproduction
PubMed: 7926854
DOI: 10.1159/000213585 -
The Journal of Physiology Apr 2016Ageing causes loss of function in tissues and organs, is accompanied by a chronic inflammatory process and affects life- and healthspan. Calorie restriction (CR) is a... (Review)
Review
Ageing causes loss of function in tissues and organs, is accompanied by a chronic inflammatory process and affects life- and healthspan. Calorie restriction (CR) is a non-genetic intervention that prevents age-associated diseases and extends longevity in most of the animal models studied so far. CR produces a pleiotropic effect and improves multiple metabolic pathways, generating benefits to the whole organism. Among the effects of CR, modulation of mitochondrial activity and a decrease in oxidative damage are two of the hallmarks. Oxidative damage is reduced by the induction of endogenous antioxidant systems and modulation of the peroxidability index in cell membranes. Mitochondrial activity changes are regulated by inhibition of IGF-1 and Target of Rapamycin (TOR)-dependent activities and activation of AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK) and the sirtuin family of proteins. The activity of PGC-1α and FoxO is regulated by these systems and is involved in mitochondria biogenesis, oxidative metabolism activity and mitochondrial turnover. The use of mimetics and the regulation of common factors have demonstrated that these molecular pathways are essential to explain the effect of CR in the organism. Finally, the anti-inflammatory effect of CR is an interesting emerging factor to be taken into consideration. In the present revision we focus on the general effect of CR and other mimetics in longevity, focusing especially on the cardiovascular system and skeletal muscle.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Caloric Restriction; Humans; Oxidative Stress
PubMed: 26607973
DOI: 10.1113/JP270543 -
Mitochondrion May 2024Ageing is described as an inevitable decline in body functions over time and an increase in susceptibility to age-related diseases. Therefore, the increase of life... (Review)
Review
Ageing is described as an inevitable decline in body functions over time and an increase in susceptibility to age-related diseases. Therefore, the increase of life expectancy is also viewed as a condition in which many elderly will develop age-related diseases and disabilities, such as cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological and oncological ones. Currently, several recognized cellular hallmarks of senescence are taken in consideration to evaluate the level of biological ageing and are the topic to plan preventive/curative anti-ageing interventions, including genomic instability, epigenetic alterations, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this scenario, alterations in the function/expression of mitochondrial ion channels have been found in ageing and associated to an impairment of calcium cycling and a reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Although several ion channels have been described at mitochondrial level, undoubtedly the mitochondrial potassium (mitoK) channels are the most investigated. Therefore, this review summarized the evidence that sheds to light a correlation between age-related diseases and alteration of mitoK channels, focusing the attention of the main age-related diseases, i.e. cardiovascular, neurological and oncological ones.
Topics: Humans; Aging; Potassium Channels; Mitochondria; Animals
PubMed: 38403095
DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2024.101857 -
Aging Jul 2023
Topics: Longevity; Aging; Models, Biological
PubMed: 37517085
DOI: 10.18632/aging.204956 -
F1000Research 2019The field of aging research has progressed significantly over the past decades. Exogenously and endogenously inflicted molecular damage ranging from genotoxic to... (Review)
Review
The field of aging research has progressed significantly over the past decades. Exogenously and endogenously inflicted molecular damage ranging from genotoxic to organellar damage drives the aging process. Repair mechanisms and compensatory responses counteract the detrimental consequences of the various damage types. Here, we discuss recent progress in understanding cellular mechanisms and interconnections between signaling pathways that control longevity. We summarize cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms that impact the cellular and organismal aging process.
Topics: Aging; DNA Damage; Humans; Longevity; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 31448092
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.19610.1 -
Aging Cell Nov 2023Ageing is characterised at the molecular level by six transcriptional 'hallmarks of ageing', that are commonly described as progressively affected as time passes. By...
Ageing is characterised at the molecular level by six transcriptional 'hallmarks of ageing', that are commonly described as progressively affected as time passes. By contrast, the 'Smurf' assay separates high-and-constant-mortality risk individuals from healthy, zero-mortality risk individuals, based on increased intestinal permeability. Performing whole body total RNA sequencing, we found that Smurfness distinguishes transcriptional changes associated with chronological age from those associated with biological age. We show that transcriptional heterogeneity increases with chronological age in non-Smurf individuals preceding the other five hallmarks of ageing that are specifically associated with the Smurf state. Using this approach, we also devise targeted pro-longevity genetic interventions delaying entry in the Smurf state. We anticipate that increased attention to the evolutionary conserved Smurf phenotype will bring about significant advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of ageing.
Topics: Humans; Aging; Longevity; Phenotype; Biological Evolution
PubMed: 37822253
DOI: 10.1111/acel.13946 -
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development Jun 2019With ageing, the potency of individual risk factors traditionally associated with common illnesses declines. Instead, it is becoming clear that the impact of a wide... (Review)
Review
With ageing, the potency of individual risk factors traditionally associated with common illnesses declines. Instead, it is becoming clear that the impact of a wide range of age-related deficits not traditionally considered as risk factors for these illnesses increases. These age-related deficits chiefly confer risk as a group, not individually. The many effects of age-related changes can be demonstrated epidemiologically, and in preclinical models, using a frailty index to distinguish between the contributions of traditional and non-traditional risk factors. Quantifying the contribution of age-related deficit accumulation in clinical and preclinical samples offers a powerful new tool for understanding mechanisms of age-related disease. It appears that a range of common late-life illnesses might be targeted by drugs aimed at ageing processes.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Humans; Models, Biological; Risk Factors
PubMed: 31002924
DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2019.04.005 -
Soins; La Revue de Reference Infirmiere 2018There is no single form of ageing. Some people age in a sort of peaceful and happy continuity of their existence, while others are confronted with illness or...
There is no single form of ageing. Some people age in a sort of peaceful and happy continuity of their existence, while others are confronted with illness or bereavements which can weaken them considerably. Ageing therefore takes many different forms. Autonomy, social ties and quality of life are key factors in determining how someone ages.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Beauty; Bereavement; Body Image; Human Body; Humans; Quality of Life; Social Desirability
PubMed: 29439789
DOI: 10.1016/j.soin.2017.12.004 -
Ageing Research Reviews Jan 2020Ageing is associated with the development of a low-level, systemic, chronic inflammation known as "inflammaging". This chronic inflammatory state can contribute to... (Review)
Review
Ageing is associated with the development of a low-level, systemic, chronic inflammation known as "inflammaging". This chronic inflammatory state can contribute to diseases of ageing such as sarcopenia and frailty. The presence of inflammaging suggests a failure of the cell clearance mechanisms that ordinarily aid in the resolution of inflammation after pathogen infiltration or tissue injury. This review aims to explore what is known of how the processes involved in the resolution of inflammation might become defective with age.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Apoptosis; Frailty; Humans; Immunosenescence; Inflammation; Sarcopenia
PubMed: 31862417
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2019.101000 -
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development Dec 2016Human life expectancy has increased dramatically in the last century and as a result also the prevalence of a variety of age-related diseases and syndromes. One such... (Review)
Review
Human life expectancy has increased dramatically in the last century and as a result also the prevalence of a variety of age-related diseases and syndromes. One such syndrome is frailty, which is defined as a combination of organ dysfunctions leading to increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. In humans, frailty is associated with various biomarkers of ageing and predicts relevant outcomes such as responses to therapies and progression of health status and mortality. Moreover, it is relatively easy to assess. To foster translation of mechanistic understanding of the ageing process and, importantly, of interventions that may extend healthy lifespan, frailty scales have been reverse translated into mice in recent years. We will review these approaches with a view to identify what is known and what is not known at present about their validity, reproducibility and reliability with a focus on the potential for further improvement.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Frailty; Humans; Mice
PubMed: 27443148
DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2016.07.004