Oxidative stress in aging: advances in proteomic approaches

Aging is a gradual, complex process in which cells, tissues, organs, and the whole organism itself deteriorate in a progressive and irreversible manner that, in the majority of cases, implies pathological conditions that affect the individual"s Quality of Life (QOL). Although extensive research efforts in recent years have been made, the anticipation of aging and prophylactic or treatment strategies continue to experience major limitations. In this review, the focus is essentially on the compilation of the advances generated by cellular expression profile analysis through proteomics studies (two-dimensional [2D] electrophoresis and mass spectrometry [MS]), which are currently used as an integral approach to study the aging process. Additionally, the relevance of the oxidative stress factors is discussed. Emphasis is placed on postmitotic tissues, such as neuronal, muscular, and red blood cells, which appear to be those most frequently studied with respect to aging. Additionally, models for the study of aging are discussed in a number of organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, senescence-accelerated probe-8 mice (SAMP8), naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), and the beagle canine. Proteomic studies in specific tissues and organisms have revealed the extensive involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in aging.

El canvi social i educatiu al nou EEES : posicionament del docent i el discent de la Titulació de Fisioteràpia

Implementació, docent, discent, Fisioteràpia i EEES A mesura que s'apropa la implementació del model preconitzat per l'EEES, apareixen experiències diverses, opinions confrontades i canvis que requereixen un gran esforç en diferents àmbits. Aquest treball d'investigació té un enfocament social del procés de Convergència Europea. Concreta l'estudi a la Diplomatura de Fisioteràpia de la Universitat de València, i tracta de respondre a la qüestió: com experencien el docent i el discent el conjunt de transformacions que acompanyen la implementació del projecte europeu d'educació superior?

Mitochondrial dysfunction increases oxidative stress and decreases chronological life span in fission yeast

Background: Oxidative stress is a probable cause of aging and associated diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) originate mainly from endogenous sources, namely the mitochondria. Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed the effect of aerobic metabolism on oxidative damage in Schizosaccharomyces pombe by global mapping of those genes that are required for growth on both respiratory-proficient media and hydrogen-peroxide-containing fermentable media. Out of a collection of approximately 2700 haploid yeast deletion mutants, 51 were sensitive to both conditions and 19 of these were related to mitochondrial function. Twelve deletion mutants lacked components of the electron transport chain. The growth defects of these mutants can be alleviated by the addition of antioxidants, which points to intrinsic oxidative stress as the origin of the phenotypes observed. These respiration-deficient mutants display elevated steady-state levels of ROS, probably due to enhanced electron leakage from their defective transport chains, which compromises the viability of chronologically-aged cells. Conclusion/Significance: Individual mitochondrial dysfunctions have often been described as the cause of diseases or aging, and our global characterization emphasizes the primacy of oxidative stress in the etiology of such processes.

Mitochondrial DNA damage and animal longevity: insights from comparative studies

Chemical reactions in living cells are under strict enzyme control and conform to a tightly regulated metabolic program. However, uncontrolled and potentially deleterious endogenous reactions occur, even under physiological conditions. Aging, in this chemical context, could be viewed as an entropic process, the result of chemical side reactions that chronically and cumulatively degrade the function of biological systems. Mitochondria are a main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and chemical sidereactions in healthy aerobic tissues and are the only known extranuclear cellular organelles in animal cells that contain their own DNA (mtDNA). ROS can modify mtDNA directly at the sugar-phosphate backbone or at the bases, producing many different oxidatively modified purines and pyrimidines, as well as single and double strand breaks and DNA mutations. In this scenario, natural selection tends to decrease the mitochondrial ROS generation, the oxidative damage to mtDNA, and the mitochondrial mutation rate in long-lived species, in agreement with the mitochondrial oxidative stress theory of aging.

Los Grandes olvidados: las personas mayores en el entorno rural = The Great Forgotten Issue: Older People in Rural Context

Ageing is a heterogeneous subject being been able to distinguish profiles in function of sex, age, economic situation, cultural levels, habitat, family structure, health, etc. The objectives of this article are to identify forms of life to age in the rural environment and to concretize intervention proposals to increase active and participatory ways of life. 7 in-depth interviews to experts, 21 to older people, 5 to professionals and two focal groups of professionals and significant social agents were performed to collect data. Results identify 4 styles of aging: an opportunity for the change; a natural phase of the life; a moment to compensate and; a moment of abandonment. Conclusions summarize intervention proposals to increase active and participatory ways of ageing in different contexts to help professionals responsible for the services of older people care