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Farrelly C. Aging, Equality and the Human Healthspan. HEC Forum 2024; 36:187-205. [PMID: 36348214 PMCID: PMC9644010 DOI: 10.1007/s10730-022-09499-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
John Davis (New Methuselahs: The Ethics of Life Extension, The MIT Press, Cambridge, 2018) advances a novel ethical analysis of longevity science that employs a three-fold methodology of examining the impact of life extension technologies on three distinct groups: the "Haves", the "Have-nots" and the "Will-nots". In this essay, I critically examine the egalitarian analysis Davis deploys with respect to its ability to help us theorize about the moral significance of an applied gerontological intervention. Rather than focusing on futuristic scenarios of radical life extension, I offer a rival egalitarian analysis that takes seriously (1) the health vulnerabilities of today's aging populations, (2) the health inequalities of the "aging status quo" and, (3) the prospects for the fair diffusion of an aging intervention over the not-so-distant future. Despite my reservations about Davis's focus on "life-extension" vs. increasing the human "healthspan", I agree with his central conclusion that an aging intervention would be, on balance, a good thing and that we should fund such research aggressively. But, I make an even stronger case and conjecture that an intervention that slows down the rate of molecular and cellular decline from the inborn aging process will likely be one of the most important public health advancements of the twenty-first century. This is so because aging is the most prevalent risk factor for chronic disease, frailty and disability, and it is estimated that there will be over 2 billion persons age > 60 by the year 2050.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Farrelly
- Department of Political Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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2
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Moses E, Atlan T, Sun X, Franěk R, Siddiqui A, Marinov GK, Shifman S, Zucker DM, Oron-Gottesman A, Greenleaf WJ, Cohen E, Ram O, Harel I. The killifish germline regulates longevity and somatic repair in a sex-specific manner. NATURE AGING 2024:10.1038/s43587-024-00632-0. [PMID: 38750187 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00632-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Classical evolutionary theories propose tradeoffs among reproduction, damage repair and lifespan. However, the specific role of the germline in shaping vertebrate aging remains largely unknown. In this study, we used the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) to genetically arrest germline development at discrete stages and examine how different modes of infertility impact life history. We first constructed a comprehensive single-cell gonadal atlas, providing cell-type-specific markers for downstream phenotypic analysis. We show here that germline depletion-but not arresting germline differentiation-enhances damage repair in female killifish. Conversely, germline-depleted males instead showed an extension in lifespan and rejuvenated metabolic functions. Through further transcriptomic analysis, we highlight enrichment of pro-longevity pathways and genes in germline-depleted male killifish and demonstrate functional conservation of how these factors may regulate longevity in germline-depleted Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results, therefore, demonstrate that different germline manipulation paradigms can yield pronounced sexually dimorphic phenotypes, implying alternative responses to classical evolutionary tradeoffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Moses
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tehila Atlan
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Xue Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Roman Franěk
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Atif Siddiqui
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Sagiv Shifman
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David M Zucker
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Oron-Gottesman
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - William J Greenleaf
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ehud Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Oren Ram
- Department of Biochemistry, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Itamar Harel
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel.
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3
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Moses E, Atlan T, Sun X, Franek R, Siddiqui A, Marinov GK, Shifman S, Zucker DM, Oron-Gottesman A, Greenleaf WJ, Cohen E, Ram O, Harel I. The killifish germline regulates longevity and somatic repair in a sex-specific manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.18.572041. [PMID: 38187630 PMCID: PMC10769255 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.572041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Classical evolutionary theories propose tradeoffs between reproduction, damage repair, and lifespan. However, the specific role of the germline in shaping vertebrate aging remains largely unknown. Here, we use the turquoise killifish ( N. furzeri ) to genetically arrest germline development at discrete stages, and examine how different modes of infertility impact life-history. We first construct a comprehensive single-cell gonadal atlas, providing cell-type-specific markers for downstream phenotypic analysis. Next, we show that germline depletion - but not arresting germline differentiation - enhances damage repair in female killifish. Conversely, germline-depleted males instead showed an extension in lifespan and rejuvenated metabolic functions. Through further transcriptomic analysis, we highlight enrichment of pro-longevity pathways and genes in germline-depleted male killifish and demonstrate functional conservation of how these factors may regulate longevity in germline-depleted C. elegans . Our results therefore demonstrate that different germline manipulation paradigms can yield pronounced sexually dimorphic phenotypes, implying alternative responses to classical evolutionary tradeoffs.
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4
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Lin Y, Lin C, Cao Y, Chen Y. Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model for the identification of natural antioxidants with anti-aging actions. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 167:115594. [PMID: 37776641 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural antioxidants have recently emerged as a highly exciting and significant topic in anti-aging research. Diverse organism models present a viable protocol for future research. Notably, many breakthroughs on natural antioxidants have been achieved in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, an animal model frequently utilized for the study of aging research and anti-aging drugs in vivo. Due to the conservation of signaling pathways on oxidative stress resistance, lifespan regulation, and aging disease between C. elegans and multiple high-level organisms (humans), as well as the low and controllable cost of time and labor, it gradually develops into a trustworthy in vivo model for high-throughput screening and validation of natural antioxidants with anti-aging actions. First, information and models on free radicals and aging are presented in this review. We also describe indexes, detection methods, and molecular mechanisms for studying the in vivo antioxidant and anti-aging effects of natural antioxidants using C. elegans. It includes lifespan, physiological aging processes, oxidative stress levels, antioxidant enzyme activation, and anti-aging pathways. Furthermore, oxidative stress and healthspan improvement induced by natural antioxidants in humans and C. elegans are compared, to understand the potential and limitations of the screening model in preclinical studies. Finally, we emphasize that C. elegans is a useful model for exploring more natural antioxidant resources and uncovering the mechanisms underlying aging-related risk factors and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugui Lin
- Microbiology Laboratory, Zhongshan Bo'ai Hospital, Southern Medical University, Zhongshan 528400, China; Department of Microbiology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Chunxiu Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, College of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yong Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yunjiao Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China.
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5
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Chaturbedi A, Lee SS. Different gametogenesis states uniquely impact longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.13.544885. [PMID: 37398385 PMCID: PMC10312764 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.13.544885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Curtailed reproduction affects lifespan and fat metabolism in diverse organisms, suggesting a regulatory axis between these processes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, ablation of germline stem cells (GSCs) leads to extended lifespan and increased fat accumulation, suggesting GSCs emit signals that modulate systemic physiology. Previous studies mainly focused on the germline-less glp-1(e2141) mutant, however, the hermaphroditic germline of C. elegans provides an excellent opportunity to study the impact of different types of germline anomalies on longevity and fat metabolism. In this study, we compared the metabolomic, transcriptomic, and genetic pathway differences in three sterile mutants: germline-less glp-1, feminized fem-3, and masculinized mog-3. We found that although the three sterile mutants all accumulate excess fat and share expression changes in stress response and metabolism genes, the germline-less glp-1 mutant exhibits the most robust lifespan increase, whereas the feminized fem-3 mutant only lives longer at specific temperatures, and the masculinized mog-3 mutant lives drastically shorter. We demonstrated that overlapping but distinct genetic pathways are required for the longevity of the three different sterile mutants. Our data showed that disruptions of different germ cell populations result in unique and complex physiological and longevity consequences, highlighting exciting avenues for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaresh Chaturbedi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Siu Sylvia Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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6
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Dabitao D, Bishai WR. Sex and Gender Differences in Tuberculosis Pathogenesis and Treatment Outcomes. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2023; 441:139-183. [PMID: 37695428 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-35139-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis remains a daunting public health concern in many countries of the world. A consistent observation in the global epidemiology of tuberculosis is an excess of cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis among males compared with females. Data from both humans and animals also suggest that males are more susceptible than females to develop active pulmonary disease. Similarly, male sex has been associated with poor treatment outcomes. Despite this growing body of evidence, little is known about the mechanisms driving sex bias in tuberculosis disease. Two dominant hypotheses have been proposed to explain the predominance of active pulmonary tuberculosis among males. The first is based on the contribution of biological factors, such as sex hormones and genetic factors, on host immunity during tuberculosis. The second is focused on non-biological factors such as smoking, professional exposure, and health-seeking behaviors, known to be influenced by gender. In this chapter, we review the literature regarding these two prevailing hypotheses by presenting human but also experimental animal studies. In addition, we presented studies aiming at examining the impact of sex and gender on other clinical forms of tuberculosis such as latent tuberculosis infection and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, which both appear to have their own specificities in relation to sex. We also highlighted potential intersections between sex and gender in the context of tuberculosis and shared future directions that could guide in elucidating mechanisms of sex-based differences in tuberculosis pathogenesis and treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djeneba Dabitao
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University Clinical Research Center (UCRC), University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali
| | - William R Bishai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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7
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Dabitao D, Somboro A, Sanogo I, Diarra B, Achenbach CJ, Holl JL, Baya B, Sanogo M, Wague M, Coulibaly N, Kone M, Drame HB, Tolofoudie M, Kone B, Diarra A, Coulibaly MD, Saliba-Shaw K, Toloba Y, Diakite M, Doumbia S, Klein SL, Bishai WR, Diallo S, Murphy RL. Sex Differences in Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis Outcomes in Mali, West Africa. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:433-440. [PMID: 35895582 PMCID: PMC9393465 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Men and women often respond differently to infectious diseases and their treatments. Tuberculosis (TB) is a life-threatening communicable disease that affects more men than women globally. Whether male sex is an independent risk factor for unfavorable TB outcomes, however, has not been rigorously investigated in an African context, where individuals are likely exposed to different microbial and environmental factors. We analyzed data collected from a cohort study in Mali by focusing on newly diagnosed active pulmonary TB individuals who were treatment naive. We gathered baseline demographic, clinical, and microbiologic characteristics before treatment initiation and also at three time points during treatment. More males than females were affected with TB, as evidenced by a male-to-female ratio of 2.4:1. In addition, at baseline, males had a significantly higher bacterial count and shorter time to culture positivity as compared with females. Male sex was associated with lower smear negativity rate after 2 months of treatment also known as the intensive phase of treatment, but not at later time points. There was no relationship between patients' sex and mortality from any cause during treatment. This study suggests that sex-based differences in TB outcomes exist, with sex-specific effects on disease outcomes being more pronounced before treatment initiation and during the intensive phase of treatment rather than at later phases of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Djeneba Dabitao
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Amadou Somboro
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Ibrahim Sanogo
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Bassirou Diarra
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Chad J. Achenbach
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jane L. Holl
- Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Bocar Baya
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Moumine Sanogo
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Mamadou Wague
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Nadie Coulibaly
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Mahamadou Kone
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Hawa Baye Drame
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Mohamed Tolofoudie
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Bourahima Kone
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Ayouba Diarra
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Mamadou D. Coulibaly
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Kathryn Saliba-Shaw
- Collaborative Clinical Research Branch, Division of Clinical Research, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yacouba Toloba
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Mahamadou Diakite
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Seydou Doumbia
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Sabra L. Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - William R. Bishai
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Souleymane Diallo
- University Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, West Africa
| | - Robert L. Murphy
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Dela Justina V, Miguez JSG, Priviero F, Sullivan JC, Giachini FR, Webb RC. Sex Differences in Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Aging. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 2:725884. [PMID: 35822017 PMCID: PMC9261391 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.725884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still the leading cause of illness and death in the Western world. Cardiovascular aging is a progressive modification occurring in cardiac and vascular morphology and physiology where increased endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness are observed, generally accompanied by increased systolic blood pressure and augmented pulse pressure. The effects of biological sex on cardiovascular pathophysiology have long been known. The incidence of hypertension is higher in men, and it increases in postmenopausal women. Premenopausal women are protected from CVD compared with age-matched men and this protective effect is lost with menopause, suggesting that sex-hormones influence blood pressure regulation. In parallel, the heart progressively remodels over the course of life and the pattern of cardiac remodeling also differs between the sexes. Lower autonomic tone, reduced baroreceptor response, and greater vascular function are observed in premenopausal women than men of similar age. However, postmenopausal women have stiffer arteries than their male counterparts. The biological mechanisms responsible for sex-related differences observed in cardiovascular aging are being unraveled over the last several decades. This review focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying the sex-differences of CVD in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Dela Justina
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | | | - Fernanda Priviero
- Cardiovascular Translational Research Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Jennifer C Sullivan
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Fernanda R Giachini
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.,Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Barra do Garças, Brazil
| | - R Clinton Webb
- Cardiovascular Translational Research Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
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9
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Schafer JM, Xiao T, Kwon H, Collier K, Chang Y, Abdel-Hafiz H, Bolyard C, Chung D, Yang Y, Sundi D, Ma Q, Theodorescu D, Li X, Li Z. Sex-biased adaptive immune regulation in cancer development and therapy. iScience 2022; 25:104717. [PMID: 35880048 PMCID: PMC9307950 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cancer research field is finally starting to unravel the mystery behind why males have a higher incidence and mortality rate than females for nearly all cancer types of the non-reproductive systems. Here, we explain how sex - specifically sex chromosomes and sex hormones - drives differential adaptive immunity across immune-related disease states including cancer, and why males are consequently more predisposed to tumor development. We highlight emerging data on the roles of cell-intrinsic androgen receptors in driving CD8+ T cell dysfunction or exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment and summarize ongoing clinical efforts to determine the impact of androgen blockade on cancer immunotherapy. Finally, we outline a framework for future research in cancer biology and immuno-oncology, underscoring the importance of a holistic research approach to understanding the mechanisms of sex dimorphisms in cancer, so sex will be considered as an imperative factor for guiding treatment decisions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna M. Schafer
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Tong Xiao
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Hyunwoo Kwon
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA,Medical Scientist Training Program, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Katharine Collier
- Division of Medical Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yuzhou Chang
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA,Department of Biomedical Informatics, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Hany Abdel-Hafiz
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA,Department of Medicine and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Chelsea Bolyard
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dongjun Chung
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yuanquan Yang
- Division of Medical Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Debasish Sundi
- Department of Urology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dan Theodorescu
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Xue Li
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA,Department of Medicine and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Zihai Li
- Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – the James, Columbus, OH 43210, USA,Corresponding author
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10
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Gupta M, Srikrishna G, Klein SL, Bishai WR. Genetic and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex-specific immune responses in tuberculosis. Trends Immunol 2022; 43:640-656. [PMID: 35842266 PMCID: PMC9344469 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), the world's deadliest bacterial infection, afflicts more human males than females, with a male/female (M/F) ratio of 1.7. Sex disparities in TB prevalence, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations are widely reported, but the underlying biological mechanisms remain largely undefined. This review assesses epidemiological data on sex disparity in TB, as well as possible underlying hormonal and genetic mechanisms that might differentially modulate innate and adaptive immune responses in males and females, leading to sex differences in disease susceptibility. We consider whether this sex disparity can be extended to the efficacy of vaccines and discuss novel animal models which may offer mechanistic insights. A better understanding of the biological factors underpinning sex-related immune responses in TB may enable sex-specific personalized therapies for TB.
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11
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Wang Z, Wu W, Kim MS, Cai D. GnRH pulse frequency and irregularity play a role in male aging. NATURE AGING 2021; 1:904-918. [PMID: 37118330 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-021-00116-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has a role in hypothalamic control of aging, but the underlying patterns and relationship with downstream reproductive hormones are still unclear. Here we report that hypothalamic GnRH pulse frequency and irregularity increase before GnRH pulse amplitude slowly decreases during aging. GnRH is inhibited by nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and GnRH pulses were controlled by oscillations in the transcriptional activity of NF-κB. Exposure to testosterone under pro-inflammatory conditions stimulated both NF-κB oscillations and GnRH pulses. While castration of middle-aged mice induced short-term anti-aging effects, preventing elevation of luteinizing hormone (LH) levels after castration led to long-term anti-aging effects and lifespan extension, indicating that high-frequency GnRH pulses and high-magnitude LH levels coordinately mediate aging. Reprogramming the endogenous GnRH pulses of middle-aged male mice via an optogenetic approach revealed that increasing GnRH pulses frequency causes LH excess and aging acceleration, while lowering the frequency of and stabilizing GnRH pulses can slow down aging. In conclusion, GnRH pulses are important for aging in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouguang Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Wenhe Wu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Min Soo Kim
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Dongsheng Cai
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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12
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Gems D, Kern CC, Nour J, Ezcurra M. Reproductive Suicide: Similar Mechanisms of Aging in C. elegans and Pacific Salmon. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:688788. [PMID: 34513830 PMCID: PMC8430333 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.688788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In some species of salmon, reproductive maturity triggers the development of massive pathology resulting from reproductive effort, leading to rapid post-reproductive death. Such reproductive death, which occurs in many semelparous organisms (with a single bout of reproduction), can be prevented by blocking reproductive maturation, and this can increase lifespan dramatically. Reproductive death is often viewed as distinct from senescence in iteroparous organisms (with multiple bouts of reproduction) such as humans. Here we review the evidence that reproductive death occurs in C. elegans and discuss what this means for its use as a model organism to study aging. Inhibiting insulin/IGF-1 signaling and germline removal suppresses reproductive death and greatly extends lifespan in C. elegans, but can also extend lifespan to a small extent in iteroparous organisms. We argue that mechanisms of senescence operative in reproductive death exist in a less catastrophic form in iteroparous organisms, particularly those that involve costly resource reallocation, and exhibit endocrine-regulated plasticity. Thus, mechanisms of senescence in semelparous organisms (including plants) and iteroparous ones form an etiological continuum. Therefore understanding mechanisms of reproductive death in C. elegans can teach us about some mechanisms of senescence that are operative in iteroparous organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carina C. Kern
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Nour
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Ezcurra
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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13
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Gay L, Melenotte C, Lakbar I, Mezouar S, Devaux C, Raoult D, Bendiane MK, Leone M, Mège JL. Sexual Dimorphism and Gender in Infectious Diseases. Front Immunol 2021; 12:698121. [PMID: 34367158 PMCID: PMC8339590 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.698121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies and clinical observations show evidence of sexual dimorphism in infectious diseases. Women are at less risk than men when it comes to developing most infectious diseases. However, understanding these observations requires a gender approach that takes into account an analysis of both biological and social factors. The host’s response to infection differs in males and females because sex differences have an impact on hormonal and chromosomal control of immunity. Estradiol appears to confer protective immunity, while progesterone and testosterone suppress anti-infectious responses. In addition, genetic factors, including those associated with sex chromosomes, also affect susceptibility to infections. Finally, differences in occupational activities, lifestyle, and comorbidities play major roles in exposure to pathogens and management of diseases. Hence, considering sexual dimorphism as a critical variable for infectious diseases should be one of the steps taken toward developing personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Gay
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Cléa Melenotte
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Economy and Social Science, Health Care Systems and Societies, Marseille, France
| | - Ines Lakbar
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Soraya Mezouar
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Christian Devaux
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Marc-Karim Bendiane
- Aix-Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Economy and Social Science, Health Care Systems and Societies, Marseille, France
| | - Marc Leone
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Louis Mège
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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14
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Sugrue VJ, Zoller JA, Narayan P, Lu AT, Ortega-Recalde OJ, Grant MJ, Bawden CS, Rudiger SR, Haghani A, Bond DM, Hore RR, Garratt M, Sears KE, Wang N, Yang XW, Snell RG, Hore TA, Horvath S. Castration delays epigenetic aging and feminizes DNA methylation at androgen-regulated loci. eLife 2021; 10:e64932. [PMID: 34227937 PMCID: PMC8260231 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, females generally live longer than males. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underpinning sex-dependent longevity are currently unclear. Epigenetic clocks are powerful biological biomarkers capable of precisely estimating chronological age and identifying novel factors influencing the aging rate using only DNA methylation data. In this study, we developed the first epigenetic clock for domesticated sheep (Ovis aries), which can predict chronological age with a median absolute error of 5.1 months. We have discovered that castrated male sheep have a decelerated aging rate compared to intact males, mediated at least in part by the removal of androgens. Furthermore, we identified several androgen-sensitive CpG dinucleotides that become progressively hypomethylated with age in intact males, but remain stable in castrated males and females. Comparable sex-specific methylation differences in MKLN1 also exist in bat skin and a range of mouse tissues that have high androgen receptor expression, indicating that it may drive androgen-dependent hypomethylation in divergent mammalian species. In characterizing these sites, we identify biologically plausible mechanisms explaining how androgens drive male-accelerated aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph Alan Zoller
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Pritika Narayan
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, The University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Ake T Lu
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | | | - Matthew J Grant
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, The University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - C Simon Bawden
- Livestock and Farming Systems, South Australian Research and Development InstituteRoseworthyAustralia
| | - Skye R Rudiger
- Livestock and Farming Systems, South Australian Research and Development InstituteRoseworthyAustralia
| | - Amin Haghani
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Donna M Bond
- Department of Anatomy, University of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Reuben R Hore
- Blackstone Hill Station, Becks, RD2OmakauNew Zealand
| | - Michael Garratt
- Department of Anatomy, University of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLALos AngelesUnited States
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los AngelesUnited States
| | - Xiangdong William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los AngelesUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesUnited States
| | - Russell G Snell
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, The University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Timothy A Hore
- Department of Anatomy, University of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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15
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Duran-Ortiz S, List EO, Basu R, Kopchick JJ. Extending lifespan by modulating the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 axis: coming of age. Pituitary 2021; 24:438-456. [PMID: 33459974 PMCID: PMC8122064 DOI: 10.1007/s11102-020-01117-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Progress made in the years of aging research have allowed the opportunity to explore potential interventions to slow aging and extend healthy lifespan. Studies performed in yeast, worms, flies and mice subjected to genetic and pharmacological interventions have given insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with longevity. Furthermore, it is now possible to effectively modulate pathways that slow aging at different stages of life (early life or at an adult age). Interestingly, interventions that extend longevity in adult mice have had sex-specific success, suggesting a potential link between particular pathways that modulate aging and sex. For example, reduction of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis at an adult age extends lifespan preferentially in females. Moreover, several postnatal dietary interventions tested by the 'Intervention Testing Program (ITP)' from the National Institute of Aging (NIA) have shown that while pharmacological interventions like rapamycin affect the IGF-1/insulin pathway and preferentially extend lifespan in females; dietary compounds that target other cellular pathways are effective only in male mice-indicating mutually exclusive sex-specific pathways. Therefore, a combination of interventions that target non-overlapping aging-related pathways appears to be an effective approach to further extend healthy lifespan in both sexes. Here, we review the germline and postnatal mouse lines that target the GH/IGF-1 axis as a mechanism to extend longevity as well as the dietary compounds that tested positive in the NIA program to increase lifespan. We believe that the interventions reviewed in this paper could constitute feasible combinations for an extended healthy lifespan in both male and female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Duran-Ortiz
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, USA
| | - Edward O List
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, USA
| | - Reetobrata Basu
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, USA
| | - John J Kopchick
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, USA.
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
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16
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Rapid Decrease in HDL-C in the Puberty Period of Boys Associated with an Elevation of Blood Pressure and Dyslipidemia in Korean Teenagers: An Explanation of Why and When Men Have Lower HDL-C Levels Than Women. Med Sci (Basel) 2021; 9:medsci9020035. [PMID: 34074048 PMCID: PMC8163168 DOI: 10.3390/medsci9020035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Low serum high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and high blood pressure are linked to each other and are recognized as independent risk factors of cardiovascular disease and dementia. HDL can cross the blood-brain barrier to remove amyloid plaque and the blood-testis barrier to supply cholesterol for spermatogenesis, but LDL cannot. During the teenage period, between 10 and 19 years of age, the systolic blood pressure (BP) increased gradually to 7.9% in boys (p < 0.001), but not in girls (p = 0.141). The boys' group showed a remarkable decrease in the total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-C from 10 to 15 years of age (p < 0.001). After then, the TC level increased again at 19 years of age to the previous level (p < 0.001). On the other hand, the HDL-C level at 19 years of age in the boys' group was not restored to the previous level at 10 years of age. The girls' group maintained similar TC (p < 0.001) and HDL-C (p < 0.001) levels from 10 to 19 years of age. These results suggest there was a remarkable difference in cholesterol consumption, particularly in the HDL-C level between boys and girls during the pubertal period. Correlation analysis showed an inverse association between the HDL-C level and SBP in boys (r = -0.133, p < 0.001) and girls (r = -0.065, p = 0.009) from 10 to 19 years of age. Interestingly, only the boys' group showed an inverse association with the diastolic BP (r = -0.122, p < 0.001); the girls' group did not have such an association (r = -0.016, p = 0.516). In conclusion, the boys' group showed a sharp decrease in the HDL-C level from 10 to 15 years of age, whereas the girls' group showed an increase in the HDL-C level during the same period. These results explain why men have a lower serum HDL-C level than women in adulthood.
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17
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Hägg S, Jylhävä J. Sex differences in biological aging with a focus on human studies. eLife 2021; 10:e63425. [PMID: 33982659 PMCID: PMC8118651 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is a complex biological process characterized by hallmark features accumulating over the life course, shaping the individual's aging trajectory and subsequent disease risks. There is substantial individual variability in the aging process between men and women. In general, women live longer than men, consistent with lower biological ages as assessed by molecular biomarkers, but there is a paradox. Women are frailer and have worse health at the end of life, while men still perform better in physical function examinations. Moreover, many age-related diseases show sex-specific patterns. In this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge on sexual dimorphism in human studies, with support from animal research, on biological aging and illnesses. We also attempt to place it in the context of the theories of aging, as well as discuss the explanations for the sex differences, for example, the sex-chromosome linked mechanisms and hormonally driven differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Hägg
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Juulia Jylhävä
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
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18
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Hodges-Simeon CR, Grail GPO, Albert G, Landry N, Ortiz TL, Carré JM, McHale TS, Arnocky SA. Testosterone, cortisol, and secretory immunoglobulin-A within a single day and across two sequential days among trans- and cis-gender men. Steroids 2020; 160:108640. [PMID: 32298661 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2020.108640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research on the association between testosterone (T) and immunity has produced conflicting results. OBJECTIVES We address two potential reasons for these empirical inconsistencies in the present research. First, the association between T and immunity may depend on which branch of the immune system is considered. Here, we examine secretory IgA (sIgA), a measure of mucosal immunity functionally related to respiratory infection risk. Second, the association between T and immunity may depend on a third regulatory variable. Therefore, we examine the interaction between T and cortisol (CORT) as well as their independent and combined effects on mucosal immunity. To do this, we explore intra-individual associations between sIgA, CORT, and T within a single day (i.e., morning vs. evening) and across 2 sequential mornings. We target two samples of men: (1) cisgender (i.e., born and identifying as men), and (2) transgender (i.e., born female but identifying as men) undergoing T therapy for gender realignment. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and forty-eight adult men (transgender n = 29) provided saliva samples at three time points: (1) upon waking, (2) before sleep on the same day, and (3) upon waking the following day. Samples were assayed in duplicate for sIgA, T and CORT. RESULTS For cisgender men, sIgA, T, and CORT exhibited clear circadian rhythms and were significantly related within and between samples. For transgender men, evidence for circadian change was found for sIgA and CORT, but not T. Further, sIgA was associated with CORT, but not T. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first evidence that salivary T and sIgA concentrations are associated within a single day and across sequential days for cisgender men. Differences between cis- and transgender men suggest that this may only be true for T levels driven by endogenous production; however, future studies should employ a larger sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Graham P O Grail
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Forensic Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., United States
| | - Graham Albert
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nicholas Landry
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Triana L Ortiz
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Timothy S McHale
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Anthropology and Museum Studies, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, United States
| | - Steven A Arnocky
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
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19
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In Experimental Dilated Cardiomyopathy Heart Failure and Survival Are Adversely Affected by a Lack of Sexual Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155450. [PMID: 32751757 PMCID: PMC7432836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly one in three people in the U.S. will develop heart failure (HF), characterized by fluid retention (edema) in the lungs and elsewhere. This leads to difficult breathing, deterioration of physical capacity, restriction of normal activities and death. There is little data about the safety and effects of sexual interactions in patients with HF. We tested whether a lack of sexual interactions affected pathophysiological outcomes in a pre-clinical mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy that recapitulates the progressive stages of human HF. Male mice were randomly given access to, or deprived from, sexual interactions with female mice, which were confirmed by videography and generation of offspring. Cohousing with access to sexual interactions markedly prolonged survival, while cohousing without access to sexual activity did not. Sexual interactions improved systolic function, reduced HF-associated edema, altered transcription of heart contractile protein genes and decreased plasma testosterone levels. To determine whether testosterone levels contributed to survival, testosterone levels were experimentally reduced. Reduction of testosterone levels significantly prolonged survival. Taken together, in mice with dilated cardiomyopathy, sexual activity altered cardiac contractile gene transcription, improved systolic function, reduced edema and prolonged survival which may be in part due to lower testosterone levels.
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20
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Gray PB, Straftis AA, Bird BM, McHale TS, Zilioli S. Human reproductive behavior, life history, and the Challenge Hypothesis: A 30-year review, retrospective and future directions. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104530. [PMID: 31085183 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Challenge Hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) originally focused on adult male avian testosterone elevated in response to same-sex competition in reproductive contexts. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate how the Challenge Hypothesis has shaped ideas about human life histories. We conduct a citation analysis, drawing upon 400 Google Scholar citations in the human literature to identify patterns in this body of scholarship. We cover key factors, such as context and personality traits, that help explain variable testosterone responses such as winning/losing to adult competitive behavior. Findings from studies on courtship and sexual behavior indicate some variation in testosterone responses depending on factors such as motivation. A large body of research indicates that male testosterone levels are often lower in contexts of long-term committed partnerships and nurturant fathering and aligned with variation in male mating and parenting effort. As the Challenge Hypothesis is extended across the life course, DHEA and androstenedione (rather than testosterone) appear more responsive to juvenile male competitive behavior, and during reproductive senescence, baseline male testosterone levels decrease just as male life history allocations show decreased mating effort. We discuss how research on testosterone administration, particularly in older men, provides causal insight into effects of testosterone in humans, and how this "natural experiment" can be viewed in light of the Challenge Hypothesis. We synthesize central concepts and findings, such as an expanded array of costs of testosterone that inform life history tradeoffs between maintenance and reproductive effort, and we conclude with directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Gray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America.
| | - Alex A Straftis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Timothy S McHale
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, United States of America
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, United States of America; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, United States of America.
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21
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Hoffman JM, Valencak TG. A short life on the farm: aging and longevity in agricultural, large-bodied mammals. GeroScience 2020; 42:909-922. [PMID: 32361879 PMCID: PMC7286991 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-020-00190-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As average human lifespans increase across the globe, companion animals, specifically dogs and cats, are also living longer with more age-related morbidities. However, a similar trend is not seen in mammalian livestock species. Cows, pigs, goats, and sheep, as well as more niche mammalian species raised across the world, have been primarily raised for their economic benefit to humans and are culled from the population once their production declines. To this end, we lack clear knowledge about the age-related morbidities and causes of death that afflict livestock animals due to natural aging, as well as detailed age-specific survival rates. Here, we review the current state of the field of agricultural mammal aging, as well as provide specific questions and directions that may provide novel resources for veterinarians and aging biologists. By raising awareness of the overall quality of life and ongoing health of individual livestock animals, we can potentially increase production into older life stages, leading to decreased costs to farmers and improved welfare for the animals themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Hoffman
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd.,CH464, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
| | - Teresa G. Valencak
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058 People’s Republic of China
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22
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Buffenstein R, Lewis KN, Gibney PA, Narayan V, Grimes KM, Smith M, Lin TD, Brown-Borg HM. Probing Pedomorphy and Prolonged Lifespan in Naked Mole-Rats and Dwarf Mice. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 35:96-111. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00032.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pedomorphy, maintenance of juvenile traits throughout life, is most pronounced in extraordinarily long-lived naked mole-rats. Many of these traits (e.g., slow growth rates, low hormone levels, and delayed sexual maturity) are shared with spontaneously mutated, long-lived dwarf mice. Although some youthful traits likely evolved as adaptations to subterranean habitats (e.g., thermolability), the nature of these intrinsic pedomorphic features may also contribute to their prolonged youthfulness, longevity, and healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrick A. Gibney
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
- Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Stocking Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Vikram Narayan
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Kelly M. Grimes
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Tzuhua D. Lin
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Holly M. Brown-Borg
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota
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23
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Alvarado LC, Valeggia CR, Ellison PT, Lewarch CL, Muller MN. A Comparison of men’s Life History, Aging, and Testosterone Levels among Datoga Pastoralists, Hadza Foragers, and Qom Transitional Foragers. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-019-00116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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24
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Austad SN. Sex differences in health and aging: a dialog between the brain and gonad? GeroScience 2019; 41:267-273. [PMID: 31243699 PMCID: PMC6702532 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-019-00081-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Women live longer than men in virtually all circumstances. However, a more common pattern among animals is that one sex lives longer under some conditions, the other lives longer under other conditions. In laboratory mice, interventions that extend longevity are surprisingly often sex-specific in their effects. Understanding these conditional sex differences could provide mechanistic insight into how longevity could be modulated in humans. One way that longevity can be consistently enhanced is by inhibiting reproduction or eliminating the capacity to reproduce. Thus, there appears to be a mechanistic link between gonadal activity and longevity. There also appears to be a mechanistic link between some types of neuroendocrine signaling and longevity. Combining these two observations suggest that communication between the brain and gonad is a ripe avenue for further exploring longevity-assurance mechanisms. Also, because the timing and activity of specific brain-gonad endocrine differs between the sexes, neuroendocrine linkages between the brain and gonad, particularly among the less obvious hormones such as activin and inhibin, could provide additional insight into mechanisms of sex differences in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven N Austad
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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25
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Thirunavukkarasu S, Khader SA. Advances in Cardiovascular Disease Lipid Research Can Provide Novel Insights Into Mycobacterial Pathogenesis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:116. [PMID: 31058102 PMCID: PMC6482252 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in industrialized nations and an emerging health problem in the developing world. Systemic inflammatory processes associated with alterations in lipid metabolism are a major contributing factor that mediates the development of CVDs, especially atherosclerosis. Therefore, the pathways promoting alterations in lipid metabolism and the interplay between varying cellular types, signaling agents, and effector molecules have been well-studied. Mycobacterial species are the causative agents of various infectious diseases in both humans and animals. Modulation of host lipid metabolism by mycobacteria plays a prominent role in its survival strategy within the host as well as in disease pathogenesis. However, there are still several knowledge gaps in the mechanistic understanding of how mycobacteria can alter host lipid metabolism. Considering the in-depth research available in the area of cardiovascular research, this review presents an overview of the parallel areas of research in host lipid-mediated immunological changes that might be extrapolated and explored to understand the underlying basis of mycobacterial pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamala Thirunavukkarasu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Shabaana A Khader
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Garratt M, Lagerborg KA, Tsai YM, Galecki A, Jain M, Miller RA. Male lifespan extension with 17-α estradiol is linked to a sex-specific metabolomic response modulated by gonadal hormones in mice. Aging Cell 2018; 17:e12786. [PMID: 29806096 PMCID: PMC6052402 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Longevity in mammals is influenced by sex, and lifespan extension in response to anti‐aging interventions is often sex‐specific, although the mechanisms underlying these sexual dimorphisms are largely unknown. Treatment of mice with 17‐α estradiol (17aE2) results in sex‐specific lifespan extension, with an increase in median survival in males of 19% and no survival effect in females. Given the links between lifespan extension and metabolism, we performed untargeted metabolomics analysis of liver, skeletal muscle and plasma from male and female mice treated with 17aE2 for eight months. We find that 17aE2 generates distinct sex‐specific changes in the metabolomic profile of liver and plasma. In males, 17aE2 treatment raised the abundance of several amino acids in the liver, and this was further associated with elevations in metabolites involved in urea cycling, suggesting altered amino acid metabolism. In females, amino acids and urea cycling metabolites were unaffected by 17aE2. 17aE2 also results in male‐specific elevations in a second estrogenic steroid—estriol‐3‐sulfate—suggesting different metabolism of this drug in males and females. To understand the underlying endocrine causes for these sexual dimorphisms, we castrated males and ovariectomized females prior to 17aE2 treatment, and found that virtually all the male‐specific metabolite responses to 17aE2 are inhibited or reduced by male castration. These results suggest novel metabolic pathways linked to male‐specific lifespan extension and show that the male‐specific metabolomic response to 17aE2 depends on the production of testicular hormones in adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Garratt
- Department of Pathology; University of Michigan Medical School; Ann Arbor Michigan
| | - Kim A. Lagerborg
- Departments of Medicine & Pharmacology; University of California San Diego; San Diego California
| | - Yi-Miau Tsai
- Department of Pathology; University of Michigan Medical School; Ann Arbor Michigan
- University of Michigan Geriatrics Center; Ann Arbor Michigan
| | - Andrzej Galecki
- Department of Pathology; University of Michigan Medical School; Ann Arbor Michigan
- University of Michigan Geriatrics Center; Ann Arbor Michigan
| | - Mohit Jain
- Departments of Medicine & Pharmacology; University of California San Diego; San Diego California
| | - Richard A. Miller
- Department of Pathology; University of Michigan Medical School; Ann Arbor Michigan
- University of Michigan Geriatrics Center; Ann Arbor Michigan
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Vázquez-Martínez ER, García-Gómez E, Camacho-Arroyo I, González-Pedrajo B. Sexual dimorphism in bacterial infections. Biol Sex Differ 2018; 9:27. [PMID: 29925409 PMCID: PMC6011518 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-018-0187-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sex differences are important epidemiological factors that impact in the frequency and severity of infectious diseases. A clear sexual dimorphism in bacterial infections has been reported in both humans and animal models. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms involved in this gender bias are just starting to be elucidated. In the present article, we aim to review the available data in the literature that report bacterial infections presenting a clear sexual dimorphism, without considering behavioral and social factors. Main body The sexual dimorphism in bacterial infections has been mainly attributed to the differential levels of sex hormones between males and females, as well as to genetic factors. In general, males are more susceptible to gastrointestinal and respiratory bacterial diseases and sepsis, while females are more susceptible to genitourinary tract bacterial infections. However, these incidences depend on the population evaluated, animal model and the bacterial species. Female protection against bacterial infections and the associated complications is assumed to be due to the pro-inflammatory effect of estradiol, while male susceptibility to those infections is associated with the testosterone-mediated immune suppression, probably via their specific receptors. Recent studies indicate that the protective effect of estradiol depends on the estrogen receptor subtype and the specific tissue compartment involved in the bacterial insult, suggesting that tissue-specific expression of particular sex steroid receptors contributes to the susceptibility to bacterial infections. Furthermore, this gender bias also depends on the effects of sex hormones on specific bacterial species. Finally, since a large number of genes related to immune functions are located on the X chromosome, X-linked mosaicism confers a highly polymorphic gene expression program that allows women to respond with a more expanded immune repertoire as compared with men. Conclusion Notwithstanding there is increasing evidence that confirms the sexual dimorphism in certain bacterial infections and the molecular mechanisms associated, further studies are required to clarify conflicting data and to determine the role of specific hormone receptors involved in the gender bias of bacterial infections, as well as their potential as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Ricardo Vázquez-Martínez
- Unidad de Investigación en Reproducción Humana, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología-Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Elizabeth García-Gómez
- Unidad de Investigación en Reproducción Humana, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT)-Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ignacio Camacho-Arroyo
- Unidad de Investigación en Reproducción Humana, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología-Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Bertha González-Pedrajo
- Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Universidad 3000, Coyoacán, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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Perumal R, Naidoo K, Padayatchi N. TB epidemiology: where are the young women? Know your tuberculosis epidemic, know your response. BMC Public Health 2018; 18:417. [PMID: 29587706 PMCID: PMC5872528 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5362-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The global predominance of tuberculosis in men has received significant attention. However, epidemiological studies now demonstrate that there is an increased representation of young women with tuberculosis, especially in high HIV burden settings where young women bear a disproportionate burden of HIV. The role of the HIV epidemic, as well as changes in behavioural, biological, and structural risk factors are explored as potential explanations for the increasing burden of tuberculosis in young women. Discussion As young women are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa, it is unsurprising that the TB epidemic in this setting has become increasingly feminised. This age-sex trend of TB in South Africa is similar to WHO estimates for other countries with a high HIV prevalence where there are more female than male cases notified up to the age of 25 years. The high prevalence of anaemia of chronic disease in young women with HIV is an additional potential reason for their increased TB risk. The widespread use of injectable medroxyprogesterone acetate contraception, which has been shown to possess selective glucocorticoid effect and oestrogen suppression, in young women may be an important emerging biological risk factor for tuberculosis in young women. Behavioural factors such as alcohol use and tobacco smoking patterns are further factors which may be responsible for the narrowing of the sex gap in TB epidemiology. In comparison to the significantly higher alcohol consumption rates in men globally, there is a narrowing gap in alcohol consumption between the sexes in South Africa with alarming rates of alcohol abuse in young women. There is a similar narrowing of the tobacco smoking gap between the sexes in South Africa, with increasing smoking prevalence in young women. Conclusion With nearly 70% of all TB patients being co-infected with HIV in our setting, it is not surprising that the age and sex distribution of TB is increasingly resembling the distribution of HIV in this region of dual hyperendemicity. New TB service design must begin to reflect the presence of young women as a significant group burdened by the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubeshan Perumal
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. .,Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute (2nd floor), 719 Umbilo Road, Private Bag X7, Congella, Durban, 4013, South Africa.
| | - Kogieleum Naidoo
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Medical Research Council-CAPRISA HIV-TB Pathogenesis and Treatment Research Unit, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Nesri Padayatchi
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Medical Research Council-CAPRISA HIV-TB Pathogenesis and Treatment Research Unit, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Sexual activity affects the redox profile along the aging process in male rats. Biogerontology 2017; 19:13-21. [DOI: 10.1007/s10522-017-9731-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Baudoin
- Department of Zoology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., 48104
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Brooks RC, Garratt MG. Life history evolution, reproduction, and the origins of sex-dependent aging and longevity. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1389:92-107. [PMID: 28009055 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Males and females in many species differ in how they age and how long they live. These differences have motivated much research, concerning both their evolution and the underlying mechanisms that cause them. We review how differences in male and female life histories have evolved to shape patterns of aging and some of the mechanisms and pathways involved. We pay particular attention to three areas where considerable potential for synergy between mechanistic and evolutionary research exists: (1) the role of estrogens, androgens, the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 pathway, and the mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway in sex-dependent growth and reproduction; (2) sexual conflict over mating rate and fertility, and how mate presence or mating can become an avenue for males and females to directly affect each other's life span; and (3) the link between dietary restriction and aging, and the emerging understanding that only the restriction of certain nutrients is involved and that this is linked to reproduction. We suggest that ideas about life histories, sex-dependent selection, and sexual conflict can inform and be informed by the ever more refined and complex understanding of the mechanisms that cause aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Kensington, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael G Garratt
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Kensington, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Abstract
Sex differences in longevity can provide insights into novel mechanisms of aging, yet they have been little studied. Surprisingly, sex-specific longevity patterns are best known in wild animals. Evolutionary hypotheses accounting for longevity patterns in natural populations include differential vulnerability to environmental hazards, differential intensity of sexual selection, and distinct patterns of parental care. Mechanistic hypotheses focus on hormones, asymmetric inheritance of sex chromosomes and mitochondria. Virtually all intensively studied species show conditional sex differences in longevity. Humans are the only species in which one sex is known to have a ubiquitous survival advantage. Paradoxically, although women live longer, they suffer greater morbidity particularly late in life. This mortality-morbidity paradox may be a consequence of greater connective tissue responsiveness to sex hormones in women. Human females' longevity advantage may result from hormonal influences on inflammatory and immunological responses, or greater resistance to oxidative damage; current support for these mechanisms is weak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven N Austad
- Department of Biology and Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170, USA.
| | - Kathleen E Fischer
- Department of Biology and Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170, USA
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Yeap BB, Knuiman MW, Divitini ML, Hui J, Arscott GM, Handelsman DJ, McLennan SV, Twigg SM, McQuillan B, Hung J, Beilby JP. Epidemiological and Mendelian Randomization Studies of Dihydrotestosterone and Estradiol and Leukocyte Telomere Length in Men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2016; 101:1299-306. [PMID: 26789780 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2015-4139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Advancing age is accompanied by an accumulation of ill health and shortening of chromosomal telomeres signifying biological aging. T is metabolized to DHT by 5α-reductase (SRD5A2) and to estradiol (E2) by aromatase (CYP19A1). Telomerase preserves telomeres, and T and E2 regulate telomerase expression and activity in vitro. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to establish whether circulating T or its metabolites, DHT or E2, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in SRD5A2 or CYP19A1 associate with leucocyte telomere length (LTL) in men. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS Early-morning serum T, DHT, and E2 were assayed using mass spectrometry, and SRD5A2 and CYP19A1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and LTL analyzed by PCR in 980 men from the Western Australian Busselton Health Survey who participated in the study. LTL was expressed as the T/S ratio. RESULTS Men were aged (mean ± SD) 53.7 ± 15.6 years. LTL decreased linearly with age, from the T/S ratio of 1.89 ± 0.41 at younger than 30 years to 1.50 ± 0.49 at 70 to younger than 80 years (r = -0.225, P < .0001). After adjustment for age, DHT and E2 were positively correlated with LTL (DHT, r = 0.069, P = .030; E2, r = 0.068, P = .034). The SRD5A2 rs9282858 polymorphism was associated with serum DHT but not with LTL. Three dominant alleles of CYP19A1 were each associated with lower serum E2 and shorter LTL: rs2899470 T (E2, 59.3 vs 68.6 pmol/L, P < .0001; T/S ratio, 1.54 vs 1.62, P = .045), rs10046 C (60.5 vs 68.1 pmol/L, P = .0005, 1.54 vs 1.62, P = .035), and rs700518 A (59.9 vs 68.9 pmol/L, P < .0001, 1.54 vs 1.63, P = .020). A single-copy haplotype C/T/I/A/T rs10046/rs2899470/rs11575899/rs700518/rs17703883 (52% prevalence) was associated with both lower E2 and shorter LTL. CONCLUSIONS In men, serum DHT and E2 correlate with LTL independently of age. Aromatase gene polymorphisms include three dominant alleles that are associated with both lower serum E2 and shorter LTL. E2 influences telomere length in vivo, thus warranting further studies to examine whether hormonal interventions might slow biological aging in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bu B Yeap
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Matthew W Knuiman
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Mark L Divitini
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Jennie Hui
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Gillian M Arscott
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - David J Handelsman
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Susan V McLennan
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Stephen M Twigg
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Brendan McQuillan
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Joseph Hung
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - John P Beilby
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology (B.B.Y., B.M., J.Hun.), School of Population Health (M.W.K., M.L.D.), and School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (J.P.B.), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine (J.Hui., G.M.A., J.P.B.) and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (B.M., J.Hun.), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes (B.B.Y.), Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia; ANZAC Research Institute (D.J.H.), Sydney, New South Wales 2138, Australia; and Department Endocrinology (S.V.M., S.M.T.), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Benedusi V, Martini E, Kallikourdis M, Villa A, Meda C, Maggi A. Ovariectomy shortens the life span of female mice. Oncotarget 2016; 6:10801-11. [PMID: 25719423 PMCID: PMC4484420 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study shows that lack of ovarian activity has a negative impact on the life span of female mice. The extent to which this phenomenon could be associated with the anti-inflammatory effect of estrogens was analyzed in metabolic organs and aorta, by quantitative analysis of mRNAs encoding proteins in the inflammatory cascade. We demonstrate that the TNFα, IL-1β, MCP-1, MIP-2 and IL-6 mRNA contents are increased in the liver, adipose tissue and aorta 7 months after ovariectomy (ovx) and this increased basal inflammation is maintained as the mice aged. In contrast, the extent of inflammatory gene expression is directly proportional to age in sham-operated mice. As a consequence, at 22 months, most of the inflammatory parameters examined were higher in the sham-operated group compared with the ovx group. These observations led us to propose that the decreased longevity of ovx mice may be due to an acceleration of the basal state of inflammation in metabolic organs, which is likely driven by the combination of a lack of estrogen-mediated anti-inflammatory activity and the loss of gonadal control of energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Benedusi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Martini
- Adaptive Immunity Laboratory, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marinos Kallikourdis
- Adaptive Immunity Laboratory, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Meda
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
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Creevy KE, Austad SN, Hoffman JM, O'Neill DG, Promislow DEL. The Companion Dog as a Model for the Longevity Dividend. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2016; 6:a026633. [PMID: 26729759 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a026633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The companion dog is the most phenotypically diverse species on the planet. This enormous variability between breeds extends not only to morphology and behavior but also to longevity and the disorders that affect dogs. There are remarkable overlaps and similarities between the human and canine species. Dogs closely share our human environment, including its many risk factors, and the veterinary infrastructure to manage health in dogs is second only to the medical infrastructure for humans. Distinct breed-based health profiles, along with their well-developed health record system and high overlap with the human environment, make the companion dog an exceptional model to improve understanding of the physiological, social, and economic impacts of the longevity dividend (LD). In this review, we describe what is already known about age-specific patterns of morbidity and mortality in companion dogs, and then explore whether this existing evidence supports the LD. We also discuss some potential limitations to using dogs as models of aging, including the fact that many dogs are euthanized before they have lived out their natural life span. Overall, we conclude that the companion dog offers high potential as a model system that will enable deeper research into the LD than is otherwise possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Creevy
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Steven N Austad
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Jessica M Hoffman
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Dan G O'Neill
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel E L Promislow
- Departments of Pathology and Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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Kessler MJ, Wang Q, Cerroni AM, Grynpas MD, Gonzalez Velez OD, Rawlins RG, Ethun KF, Wimsatt JH, Kensler TB, Pritzker KPH. Long-term effects of castration on the skeleton of male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 2016; 78:152-66. [PMID: 25771746 PMCID: PMC4573389 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
While osteopenia (OPE) and osteoporosis (OPO) have been studied in various species of aging nonhuman primates and extensively in ovariectomized rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, there is virtually no information on the effects of castration on the skeleton of male nonhuman primates. Most information on castrated male primates comes from a few studies on the skeletons of eunuchs. This report used a subset of the Caribbean Primate Research Center's (CPRC) Cayo Santiago (CS) rhesus macaque skeletal collection to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the bone mineral density (BMD) of castrated and age-matched intact males and, thereby, determine the long-term effects of castration (orchidectomy) on bone. Lumbar vertebrae, femora, and crania were evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA) and digital radiography augmented, when fresh tissues were available, with autoradiography and histology. Results confirmed physical examinations of long bones that castration causes changes in the skeleton of male rhesus macaques similar to those found in eunuchs, including OPE and OPO of the vertebrae and femora, thinning of the skull, and vertebral fractures and kyphosis of the spine more severe than that caused by normal aging alone. Also like eunuchs, some castrated CS male rhesus monkeys had a longer life span than intact males or females. Based on these results and the effects of castration on other tissues and organs of eunuchs, on behavior, hormone profiles and possibly on cognition and visual perception of human and nonhuman primates, and other mammals, castrated male rhesus macaques should be used with caution for laboratory studies and should be considered a separate category from intact males. Despite these caveats, the castrated male rhesus macaque should make an excellent animal model in which to test hormone replacement therapies for boys and men orchidectomized for testicular and prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Kessler
- Office of Laboratory Animal Resources, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas
| | - Antonietta M Cerroni
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc D Grynpas
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olga D Gonzalez Velez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Richard G Rawlins
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Kelly F Ethun
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jeffrey H Wimsatt
- Office of Laboratory Animal Resources, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Terry B Kensler
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Kenneth P H Pritzker
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Health Complex, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
Worldwide, the prevalence of moderate to severe visual impairment and blindness is 285 millions, with 65% of visually impaired and 82% of all blind people being 50 years and older. Meta-analyses have shown that two out of three blind people are women, a gender discrepancy that holds true for both developed and developing countries. Cataract accounts for more than half of all blindness globally and gender inequity in access to cataract surgery is the major cause of the higher prevalence of blindness in women. In addition to gender differences in cataract surgical coverage, population-based studies on the prevalence of lens opacities indicate that women have a higher risk of developing cataract. Laboratory as well as epidemiologic studies suggest that estrogen may confer antioxidative protection against cataractogenesis, but the withdrawal effect of estrogen in menopause leads to increased risk of cataract in women. For the other major age-related eye diseases; glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy, data are inconclusive. Due to anatomic factors, angle closure glaucoma is more common in women, whereas the dominating glaucoma type; primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), is more prevalent in men. Diabetic retinopathy also has a male predominance and vascular/circulatory factors have been implied both in diabetic retinopathy and in POAG. For AMD, data on gender differences are conflicting although some studies indicate increased prevalence of drusen and neovascular AMD in women. To conclude, both biologic and socioeconomic factors must be considered when investigating causes of gender differences in the prevalence of age-related eye disease.
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Wang Q, Kessler MJ, Kensler TB, Dechow PC. The mandibles of castrated male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): The effects of orchidectomy on bone and teeth. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015; 159:31-51. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry; Dallas TX
| | - Matthew J. Kessler
- Office of Laboratory Animal Resources; Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center West Virginia University; Morgantown WV
| | - Terry B. Kensler
- Caribbean Primate Research Center; University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus; San Juan Puerto Rico
| | - Paul C. Dechow
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry; Dallas TX
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Ayob SM, Messenger AG. Androgens, hair loss and eugenics: a tale of discovery and American social history. Exp Dermatol 2015; 24:412-3. [DOI: 10.1111/exd.12702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shanti M. Ayob
- Dermatology Department; Royal Hallamshire Hospital; Sheffield UK
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Khodakarami A, Saez I, Mels J, Vilchez D. Mediation of organismal aging and somatic proteostasis by the germline. Front Mol Biosci 2015; 2:3. [PMID: 25988171 PMCID: PMC4428440 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2015.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental interventions that reduce reproduction cause an extension in lifespan. In invertebrates, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, the aging of the soma is regulated by signals from the germline. Indeed, ablation of germ cells significantly extends lifespan. Notably, germline-deficient animals exhibit heightened resistance to proteotoxic stress. This phenotype correlates with increased potential of intracellular clearance mechanisms such as the proteasome and autophagy in somatic tissues. Here we review the molecular mechanisms by which signals from the germline regulate lifespan in C. elegans with special emphasis on clearance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirabbas Khodakarami
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Isabel Saez
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - Johanna Mels
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne Cologne, Germany
| | - David Vilchez
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne Cologne, Germany
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Abstract
Why do humans live longer than other higher primates? Why do women live longer than men? What is the significance of the menopause? Answers to these questions may be sought by reference to the mechanisms by which human aging might have evolved. Here, an evolutionary hypothesis is presented that could answer all three questions, based on the following suppositions. First, that the evolution of increased human longevity was driven by increased late-life reproduction by men in polygynous primordial societies. Second, that the lack of a corresponding increase in female reproductive lifespan reflects evolutionary constraint on late-life oocyte production. Third, that antagonistic pleiotropy acting on androgen-generated secondary sexual characteristics in men increased reproductive success earlier in life, but shortened lifespan. That the gender gap in aging is attributable to androgens appears more likely given a recent report of exceptional longevity in eunuchs. Yet androgen depletion therapy, now used to treat prostatic hyperplasia, appears to accelerate other aspects of aging (e.g. cardiovascular disease). One possibility is that low levels of androgens throughout life reduces aging rate, but late-life androgen depletion does not.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gems
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, and Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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42
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Nhamoyebonde S, Leslie A. Biological differences between the sexes and susceptibility to tuberculosis. J Infect Dis 2014; 209 Suppl 3:S100-6. [PMID: 24966189 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, far more men than women have tuberculosis. Although the cause of this bias is uncertain, epidemiological factors have historically been considered the driving force. Here, we discuss evidence that biological differences between the sexes may also be important and can affect susceptibility to mycobacterial infection. We discuss the possible underlying mechanisms, with particular focus on how sex hormones modulate the immune responses necessary for resistance to tuberculosis. Studying these differences may provide valuable insight into the components that constitute an effective immune response to this deadly pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shepherd Nhamoyebonde
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Alasdair Leslie
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Corona G, Maseroli E, Rastrelli G, Isidori AM, Sforza A, Mannucci E, Maggi M. Cardiovascular risk associated with testosterone-boosting medications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2014; 13:1327-51. [PMID: 25139126 DOI: 10.1517/14740338.2014.950653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent reports have significantly halted the enthusiasm regarding androgen-boosting; suggesting that testosterone supplementation (TS) increases cardiovascular (CV) events. AREAS COVERED In order to overcome some of the limitations of the current evidence, the authors performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of all placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on the effect of TS on CV-related problems. Out of 2747 retrieved articles, 75 were analyzed, including 3016 and 2448 patients in TS and placebo groups, respectively, and a mean duration of 34 weeks. Our analyses, performed on the largest number of studies collected so far, indicate that TS is not related to any increase in CV risk, even when composite or single adverse events were considered. In RCTs performed in subjects with metabolic derangements a protective effect of TS on CV risk was observed. EXPERT OPINION The present systematic review and meta-analysis does not support a causal role between TS and adverse CV events. Our results are in agreement with a large body of literature from the last 20 years supporting TS of hypogonadal men as a valuable strategy in improving a patient's metabolic profile, reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass, which would ultimately reduce the risk of heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Corona
- Azienda-Usl Bologna, Maggiore-Bellaria Hospital, Medical Department, Endocrinology Unit , Bologna , Italy
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Sinha A, Rae R. A functional genomic screen for evolutionarily conserved genes required for lifespan and immunity in germline-deficient C. elegans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101970. [PMID: 25093668 PMCID: PMC4122342 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The reproductive system regulates lifespan in insects, nematodes and vertebrates. In Caenorhabditis elegans removal of germline increases lifespan by 60% which is dependent upon insulin signaling, nuclear hormone signaling, autophagy and fat metabolism and their microRNA-regulators. Germline-deficient C. elegans are also more resistant to various bacterial pathogens but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Firstly, we demonstrate that previously identified genes that regulate the extended lifespan of germline-deficient C. elegans (daf-2, daf-16, daf-12, tcer-1, mir-7.1 and nhr-80) are also essential for resistance to the pathogenic bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila. We then use a novel unbiased approach combining laser cell ablation, whole genome microarrays, RNAi screening and exposure to X. nematophila to generate a comprehensive genome-wide catalog of genes potentially required for increased lifespan and innate immunity in germline-deficient C. elegans. We find 3,440 genes to be upregulated in C. elegans germline-deficient animals in a gonad dependent manner, which are significantly enriched for genes involved in insulin signaling, fatty acid desaturation, translation elongation and proteasome complex function. Using RNAi against a subset of 150 candidate genes selected from the microarray results, we show that the upregulated genes such as transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO, the PTEN homolog lipid phosphatase DAF-18 and several components of the proteasome complex (rpn-6.1, rpn-7, rpn-9, rpn-10, rpt-6, pbs-3 and pbs-6) are essential for both lifespan and immunity of germline deficient animals. We also identify a novel role for genes including par-5 and T12G3.6 in both lifespan-extension and increased survival on X. nematophila. From an evolutionary perspective, most of the genes differentially expressed in germline deficient C. elegans also show a conserved expression pattern in germline deficient Pristionchus pacificus, a nematode species that diverged from C. elegans 250-400 MYA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Sinha
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robbie Rae
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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45
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Corona G, Rastrelli G, Maseroli E, Fralassi N, Sforza A, Forti G, Mannucci E, Maggi M. Low testosterone syndrome protects subjects with high cardiovascular risk burden from major adverse cardiovascular events. Andrology 2014; 2:741-7. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2014.00241.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Corona
- Endocrinology Unit; Medical Department; Azienda Usl, Maggiore-Bellaria Hospital; Bologna Italy
| | - G. Rastrelli
- Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit; Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - E. Maseroli
- Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit; Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - N. Fralassi
- Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit; Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - A. Sforza
- Endocrinology Unit; Medical Department; Azienda Usl, Maggiore-Bellaria Hospital; Bologna Italy
| | - G. Forti
- Endocrinology Unit; Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences; University of Florence; Florence Italy
| | - E. Mannucci
- Diabetes Agency; Careggi Hospital; Florence Italy
| | - M. Maggi
- Endocrinology Unit; Medical Department; Azienda Usl, Maggiore-Bellaria Hospital; Bologna Italy
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Abstract
There is evidence from epidemiologic data that cataract is more common in women than men. This is not solely due to a higher rate of cataract extraction in women, as is the case in the western world, but several population-based studies show that females have a higher prevalence of lens opacities, especially cortical. There is no firm evidence that lifestyle-related factors are the cause of this gender discrepancy. Focus has therefore been directed towards the role of estrogen in cataract formation. Although data on endogenous and exogenous estrogen involvement in cataractogenesis are conflicting, some studies have indicated that hormone therapy may decrease the risk of cataract and thus be protective. It has been hypothesized that the decrease in estrogen at menopause cause increased risk of cataract in women, i.e. not strictly the concentration of estrogen, but more the withdrawal effect. Estrogens are known to exert several anti-aging effects that may explain the longer lifespan in women, including metabolically beneficial effects, neuroprotection, preservation of telomeres and anti-oxidative properties. Since oxidative stress is considered important in cataractogenesis, studies have investigated the effects of estrogens on lens epithelial cells in culture or in animal models. Several investigators have found protection by physiological concentrations of 17β-estradiol against oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in cultured lens epithelial cells. Although both main types of estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, have been demonstrated in lens epithelium, most studies so far indicate that the estrogen-mediated protection in the lens is exerted through non-genomic, i.e. receptor-independent mechanisms, possibly through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/ERK2), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-signaling pathway. Further studies are needed, both epidemiologic as to the role of hormone therapies, and laboratory studies regarding molecular estrogen-mediated mechanisms, in order to comprehend the role of estrogens on cataract formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Zetterberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation/Ophthalmology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg , Gothenburg , Sweden
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47
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Rattan SIS. Aging is not a disease: implications for intervention. Aging Dis 2014; 5:196-202. [PMID: 24900942 PMCID: PMC4037311 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2014.0500196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging of biological systems occurs in spite of numerous complex pathways of maintenance, repair and defense. There are no gerontogenes which have the specific evolutionary function to cause aging. Although aging is the common cause of all age-related diseases, aging in itself cannot be considered a disease. This understanding of aging as a process should transform our approach towards interventions from developing illusory anti-aging treatments to developing realistic and practical methods for maintaining health throughout the lifespan. The concept of homeodynamic space can be a useful one in order to identify a set of measurable, evidence-based and demonstratable parameters of health, robustness and resilience. Age-induced health problems, for which there are no other clear-cut causative agents, may be better tackled by focusing on health mechanisms and their maintenance, rather than only disease management and treatment. Continuing the disease-oriented research and treatment approaches, as opposed to health-oriented and preventive strategies, are economically, socially and psychologically unsustainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh I. S. Rattan
- Laboratory of Cellular Ageing, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
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48
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Velarde MC. Mitochondrial and sex steroid hormone crosstalk during aging. LONGEVITY & HEALTHSPAN 2014; 3:2. [PMID: 24495597 PMCID: PMC3922316 DOI: 10.1186/2046-2395-3-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Decline in circulating sex steroid hormones accompanies several age-associated pathologies which may influence human healthspan. Mitochondria play important roles in biosynthesis of sex steroid hormones, and these hormones can also regulate mitochondrial function. Understanding the cross talk between mitochondria and sex steroid hormones may provide insights into the pathologies associated with aging. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the interplay between mitochondria and sex steroid hormones during the aging process. The review describes the effect of mitochondria on sex steroid hormone production in the gonads, and then enumerates the contribution of sex steroid hormones on mitochondrial function in hormone responsive cells. Decline in sex steroid hormones and accumulation of mitochondrial damage may create a positive feedback loop that contributes to the progressive degeneration in tissue function during aging. The review further speculates whether regulation between mitochondrial function and sex steroid hormone action can potentially influence healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Velarde
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 8001 Redwood Blvd, Novato, CA 94945, USA.
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49
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Regan JC, Partridge L. Gender and longevity: why do men die earlier than women? Comparative and experimental evidence. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013; 27:467-79. [PMID: 24054925 DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in lifespan exist world-wide, with women outliving men by more than a decade in some countries. The gender gap is not a uniquely human phenomenon; most sexually reproducing species examined show sex differences in patterns of ageing, yet a comprehensive explanation does not exist. Here, we discuss how ageing responds to natural selection on traits that arise as a consequence of sexuality. Sexual dimorphisms in vertebrates are mediated by sex-steroids, such as androgens and oestrogens, and we examine their regulation of biological processes that can affect ageing and lifespan. The sexes can respond differently to dietary restriction and altered activity of nutrient-sensing pathways, with females showing a greater plasticity for life extension. We suggest that the cross-regulation of steroid hormone and nutrient-sensing signalling pathways is a promising process for further study in understanding the biological basis for the gender gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Regan
- The Institute of Healthy Ageing, UCL, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK
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50
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Maklakov AA, Lummaa V. Evolution of sex differences in lifespan and aging: Causes and constraints. Bioessays 2013; 35:717-24. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201300021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexei A. Maklakov
- Ageing Research Group, Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
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