肉苁蓉多糖对衰老小鼠脂质过氧化的影响

目的:研究肉苁蓉多糖(polysacchridesofcistanchedeserticolaY.C.Ma,PCD)对亚急性衰老小鼠的抗 脂质过氧化作用。方法:使用D 半乳糖造成小鼠亚急性衰老模型,观察PCD对亚急性衰老小鼠血液和肝脏组 织中超氧化物岐酶(SOD)、脂质过氧化物(LPO)的含量的影响。结果:灌服肉苁蓉多糖衰老小鼠的血液和肝脏 组织中SOD明显高于模型组(P<0.05);LPO的含量明显低于模型组(P<0.05)。结论:肉苁蓉多糖具有明显 的抗脂质过氧化功能,防止亚急性衰老小鼠的组织脂质过氧化损伤。     

突触功能必需基因参与线虫衰老的调控(英文)

目的鉴定参与线虫衰老的神经内分泌调控的新基因。方法鉴于神经系统在衰老调控中的重要作用,通过寿命分析和脂褐质自发荧光的检测,从编码突触蛋白的遗传位点中筛选参与衰老调控的基因。我们还进一步检查了这些遗传位点相应的突变体的永久性幼虫形成情况,探讨它们是否可能受胰岛素样信号通路的调控。结果遗传位点 unc-10,syd-2,hlb-1,dlk-1,mkk-4,scd-2,snb-1,ric-4,nrx-1,unc-13,sbt-1,unc-64 可能参与线虫衰老的调控。而且在衰老的调控中,unc-10,syd-2,hlb-1,dlk-1,mkk-4,scd-2,snb-1,ric-4,nrx-1 的功能可能与unc-13,sbt-1,unc-64相反。肠道脂褐质自发荧光的检测进一步证明了筛选出的各基因对应突变体的长寿或短寿表型,是由减慢或缩短的组织衰老所致。在筛选出的基因中,syd-2,hlb-1,mkk-4,scd-2,snb-1,ric-4,unc-64 也参与了永久性幼虫形成的调控。另外,daf-2突变增强了syd-2和hlb-1的表达,降低了mkk-4,nrx-1,ric-4,sbt-1,rpm-1,unc-10,dlk-1,unc-13 的表达。daf-16突变提高了syd-2和 hlb-1 的表达,降低了mkk-4,nrx-1,sbt-1,rpm-1,unc-10,dlk-1,unc-13 的表达. 结论突触功能可能在个体寿命和永久性幼虫形成的调控机制中具有重要的作用。     

Maturation and aging of the axonal cytoskeleton: biochemical analysis of transported tubulin.

Changes in solubility and axonal transport of tubulin during maturation and aging have been investigated using sciatic motor fibers of rats at 4, 7, 14, 30, and 80 weeks of age. One to six weeks after injection of L-[35S]methionine into the spinal cord, labeled cytoskeletal proteins in consecutive segments of the sciatic nerve and the ventral roots were fractionated into soluble and insoluble forms by extraction in 1% Triton at low temperature. In 4-week-old rats, the two forms of tubulin were transported coordinately in a single wave with the average rate of 2 mm/day. At 7 weeks of age, two components in tubulin transport were observed to develop, possibly reflecting the maturation of the axonal cytoskeleton. The slower main component (1.5 mm/day) contained most of the insoluble form together with the neurofilament proteins and the faster component (3 mm/day) was enriched in the soluble form. Though significantly different in composition, the two components correspond to slow component a (SCa) and slow component b (SCb) originally defined in the optic system. A progressive decrease in transport rates of both SCa and SCb was observed with rats at 14, 30, and 80 weeks of age. In addition, there was a large decrease in the proportion of insoluble tubulin during the course of transport in animals older than 30 weeks. This loss of the insoluble form seems to be accounted for partly by the proteolytic degradation of the severely retarded SCa proteins. Changes in axonal transport of tubulin may thus reflect age-related changes in dynamics and turnover of the axonal cytoskeleton.     

Altered genetic response to beta-adrenergic receptor activation in late passage C6 glioma cells.

Previous studies have demonstrated variability in the phenotype of rat C6 glioma cells. In the present study, we compared morphology, growth rate, and beta-adrenergic regulation of gene expression in early (P39-47) and late (P55-90) passage C6 cells. Morphological changes were observed in five independently derived, late passage populations. In four of the five, the untreated cells were more polygonal than the fibroblast-like parental cells, and only a small fraction exhibited process outgrowth after dbcAMP treatment. Untreated cells from the fifth late passage population had longer cytoplasmic processes than parental cells and responded to dbcAMP with further process outgrowth. All late passage populations had shorter generation times than the parental cells. In early passage cells, treatment with the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (IPR), resulted in an increase in c-fos mRNA and a decrease in c-jun mRNA (Gu-bits RM, Yu H: J Neurosci Res, 30:625-630, 1991). Both of these immediate early gene responses were irreversibly lost between P50 and P55. Additional differences in basal or IPR-induced mRNA levels were observed for beta-APP, GFAP, NGF, and PPE, but not for a number of other mRNAs. These results are discussed in relationship to previously described differences in the ability of early and late passage C6 cells to accumulate cAMP (Mallorga P, et al.: Biochim Biophys Acta 678:221-229, 1981).     

Vasopressin stimulation of NaCl transport in the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop is decreased in aging mice

The maximal urinary osmolality that can be reached by the kidney is reduced with age. This may be due to impaired NaCl transport by the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, which is part of the renal concentrating mechanism and is modulated by antidiuretic hormone (ADH). We therefore tested in vitro a possible age-related change in the transport capacity and in the response of this nephron segment to ADH in young (1–2 months) and old (20–24 months) mice. The transepithelial potential difference (V _te) was significantly higher in young mice (+8.5±0.4 mV, n=13) than in old ones (+6.6±0.5 mV, n=17). Addition of 0.1 nmol.l^–1 ADH to the bath solution significantly increased V _te by 5.2±0.5 mV in the young and by 3.1±0.6 mV in the old animals. Application of dibutyryl-cAMP (0.1 mmol.1^–1) did not further increase the hormonal response in both groups. The ADH-mediated increase in the corresponding equivalent short-circuit current (I _SC = V _te/R_te) was twice as great in young mice as in old, indicating that the stimulation of NaCl transport by ADH across the medullary thick ascending limb is significantly reduced with age. These results suggest that the previously reported age-related defect in the urinary concentrating ability of the kidney is partly due to a decreased response of the medullary thick ascending limb to ADH.     

Tadalafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction; an overview of the clinical evidence

Prevalence and severity of erectile dysfunction (ED) increase with aging and are often associated with illnesses, like diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypertension, pathologically characterized by endothelial dysfunction and whose prevalence increases with age. The assumption that ED is mainly a neurovascular disease is supported by the evidence that specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibition produces an efficient erection in a wide range of ages and conditions. The availability of specific PDE5 inhibitors has enabled the development of effective treatment strategies, in this contest, tadalafil may be considered as the least “typical” PDE5 inhibitor. In clinical trials, tadalafil significantly enhanced, in patients of different ages, all efficacy outcomes across disease etiologies and severities. With an effectiveness lasting up to 36h, tadalafil allows patients to choose when to have sexual activities without the need to time it, showing positive feedback in terms of quality of life related to the treatment. Headache and dyspepsia were the most frequent side-effects of tadalafil, followed by back pain, nasal congestion, myalgia, and flushing, but the impact that long time action could have on effectiveness and safety is not yet entirely defined. The aim of this article is to critically review the available evidence from the tadalafil clinical research program and give the physician a rational approach for intervention in the treatment of ED and related diseases.     

Population aging in the Asia–Oceania region

Recently the term 'global aging', which refers to the universal trend of aging of the world population, is being widely used. First of all, I will shed some light on this trend of world population aging from the viewpoint of regional populations and their future projections.
Second, I will discuss about the determinants of population aging in the Asia and Oceania region. So far as the region is concerned, it will be divided into three groups of countries according to the level of population aging. The first group is the most advanced aged countries such as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand whose percentage of the elderly aged 65 and over is more than 10% in the year of 2000. The second group is the aging countries such as Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and China whose percentage of the elderly is between 5 and 10%. and the third group is the remaining countries in this region whose percentage is less than 5%. The demographic aspects of each group are analyzed and the relationships between the fertility reduction and aging are also discussed in the perspectives of the demographic transition.
Third, I will discuss about the consequences of population aging in this region with special reference to Asian developing countries. In this section, I will mention the problems of dependency burden, the so-called population bonus, health expectancy, and social security systems. Fourth, some prominent characteristics concerning the living conditions and norms or attitudes of the elderly will be indicated, and I will also raise such points like family systems, living arrangements, social participation, and Ikigai (the worth of life) peculiar to Asian countries. Fifth and finally, I will touch on the topics of the issues and policies of the aging society. At present the social status of the elderly is improving in Asian countries and it is in the hope that the myth of aging will disappear in the near future.     

Seizures with Onset in the Sensorimotor Face Area: Clinical Patterns and Results of Surgical Treatment in 20 Patients

Summary: It is not generally appreciated that intractable seizures involving the face area are amenable to surgical treatment. Twenty patients with onset of sensorimotor seizures in the face area of the pre- and postcentral gyri have been studied and surgically treated since 1948. Seizures started in the face, tongue, or throat, followed by diverse patterns depending on spread of seizure activity. Two patients had epilepsia partialis continua; 6 had either tonic or atonic drop attacks. All patients had pre- and postcentral face area resections, 12 in the dominant hemisphere. In addition, 3 had more extensive postcentral removal, 7 had temporal lobe, and 4 had small separate or contiguous frontal or parietal resection. Because the seizures were not sufficiently reduced by the first operation, 6 required reoperation; 4 of these patients had residual epileptiform activity on electrocorticogram (ECoG) after the first resection. Three patients had new neurologic signs that did not return to the preoperative level, but in 2 of them the deficit related mainly to higher resection in the central area. All but 2 of these 20 patients had at least moderate seizure reduction. Corticectomy can be performed for treatment of seizures arising in the lower central area and usually does not lead to significant permanent neurologic deficit.     

Pharmacokinetic Study of Mitomycin C with Emphasis on the Influence of Aging

Mitomycin C (MMC) at a dose of 8 mg/m² was administered by short intravenous infusion to 14 cancer patients. All patients had normal renal, hepatic, cardiac and bone marrow functions. The plasma level of MMC, which was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography over a 24–h period after the infusion, fitted the 2-compartment model curve except for one patient. There was a significant correlation between the area under the time versus concentration curve (AUC) of MMC and the age of patients ( r = 0.558, P < 0.05). Pharmacokinetic parameters in one of the older (a 69-year-old male) patients were extremely different from those of the other 13 patients. This patient experienced severe myelosuppression, probably due to the markedly increased AUC of MMC. Our results suggest that a patient's age has a significant influence on the pharmacokinetics of MMC in patients with normal major organ functions and that in some patients, MMC pharmacokinetics may be altered, possibly due to interpatient variation in the activation or metabolic pathway of MMC.     

Latex allergy in infants younger than 1 year

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of latex allergy in children is increasing worldwide. Previous multiple operations or atopic predisposition are known risk factors. In contrast, only sporadic cases of latex allergy have been reported in infants younger than 1 year, and the causative latex-containing products or symptoms in young infants have not been studied in detail. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyse the symptoms and risk factors of latex allergy in young infants. METHODS: Cases of latex allergy in infants younger than 1 year were studied in detail. Clinical course, causative latex-containing products were spotted and detailed analysis for latex allergy in patients and patients' parents was performed. CONCLUSION: We report nine cases of latex allergy in infants younger than 1 year. None of them have any abnormality or previous operations. Six patients had atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome, one patient had bronchial asthma, whereas two patients had no overt allergic diseases. Symptoms of latex allergy were wheezing, swelling of face or lips, facial rash, or anaphylaxis, and causative latex-containing products were teat, pacifier, nose cleaner, teether, balloon, or enema tube. All of the nine patients had positive skin prick test to latex and extract from causative latex-containing products, whereas eight patients had positive serum latex-specific IgE. Study for family history revealed that latex allergy was noted in either father or mother in six patients, in both father and mother in one patient, whereas no latex allergy was noted in parents in two patients. It should be noted that all of these patients had latex-induced symptoms at home. Latex allergy in young infants may not be unusual. Physicians should be aware of latex allergy, and care should be taken to avoid contact with latex in young infants, especially when there is family history for latex allergy.