Reappraisal of the Concept of Accelerated Aging in Neurodegeneration and Beyond

BACKGROUND

Genetic and epigenetic changes, oxidative stress and inflammation influence the rate of aging, which diseases, lifestyle and environmental factors can further accelerate. In accelerated aging (AA), the biological age exceeds the chronological age.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to reappraise the AA concept critically, considering its weaknesses and limitations.

METHODS

We reviewed more than 300 recent articles dealing with the physiology of brain aging and neurodegeneration pathophysiology.

RESULTS

(1) Application of the AA concept to individual organs outside the brain is challenging as organs of different systems age at different rates. (2) There is a need to consider the deceleration of aging due to the potential use of the individual structure-functional reserves. The latter can be restored by pharmacological and/or cognitive therapy, environment, etc. (3) The AA concept lacks both standardised terminology and methodology. (4) Changes in specific molecular biomarkers (MBM) reflect aging-related processes; however, numerous MBM candidates should be validated to consolidate the AA theory. (5) The exact nature of many potential causal factors, biological outcomes and interactions between the former and the latter remain largely unclear.

CONCLUSIONS

Although AA is commonly recognised as a perspective theory, it still suffers from a number of gaps and limitations that assume the necessity for an updated AA concept.

Adaptive synapse-based neuron model with heterogeneous multistability and riddled basins

Biological neurons can exhibit complex coexisting multiple firing patterns dependent on initial conditions. To this end, this paper presents a novel adaptive synapse-based neuron (ASN) model with sine activation function. The ASN model has time-varying equilibria with the variation of externally applied current and its equilibrium stability involves transitions between stable and unstable points through fold and Hopf bifurcations, resulting in complex distributions of attractive regions with heterogeneous multi-stability. Globally coexisting heterogeneous behaviors are studied by bifurcation diagram, phase portrait, dynamical distribution, and basin of attraction. The results show that the number of coexisting heterogeneous attractors can be up to 12, but for a simple neuron model, such a large number of coexisting heterogeneous attractors has not been reported in the relevant literature. Most interestingly, the ASN model also has riddled-like complex basins of attraction and four illustrative examples are depicted by the phase portraits with small changes of the initial conditions. Besides, the ASN model is implemented using a simple microcontroller platform, and various heterogeneous coexisting attractors are acquired experimentally to validate the numerical results.

Model-free prediction of multistability using echo state network

In the field of complex dynamics, multistable attractors have been gaining significant attention due to their unpredictability in occurrence and extreme sensitivity to initial conditions. Co-existing attractors are abundant in diverse systems ranging from climate to finance and ecological to social systems. In this article, we investigate a data-driven approach to infer different dynamics of a multistable system using an echo state network. We start with a parameter-aware reservoir and predict diverse dynamics for different parameter values. Interestingly, a machine is able to reproduce the dynamics almost perfectly even at distant parameters, which lie considerably far from the parameter values related to the training dynamics. In continuation, we can predict whole bifurcation diagram significant accuracy as well. We extend this study for exploring various dynamics of multistable attractors at an unknown parameter value. While we train the machine with the dynamics of only one attractor at parameter p, it can capture the dynamics of a co-existing attractor at a new parameter value p + Δ p. Continuing the simulation for a multiple set of initial conditions, we can identify the basins for different attractors. We generalize the results by applying the scheme on two distinct multistable systems.

[Antioxidants in complex treatment of Parkinson's disease]

Experimental and clinical study of mexidol efficacy in the complex therapy of Parkinson's disease has been carried out. It is shown that in a Parkinsonian animal model using oxotremorine, mexidol reduces Parkinsonian symptoms and decreases expression of neurophysiological changes caused by oxotremorine. Neurohistological study of substantia nigra neurons in a Parkinsonian model using MPTP revealed a neuroprotective effect of mexidol. An assignment of mexidol (4,0 ml intravenous in drops during 10 days) to patients with Parkinson's disease, receiving the basic therapy with antiparkinsonic drugs, reduced tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. The most marked effect was observed in patients with prevalence of trembling symptoms at early stages of the disease. The results of clinical study have been confirmed by electromyographic and electroneuromyographic data.

[Effects of heavy charged particles on strains of microorganisms-producers of biologically active substances]

Effects of heavy charged particles on strains of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. Kurstaki Z-52 and Arthrobacter OC-1 have been studied. Evidence was obtained that heavy charged particles impact the morphologocultural and physiological properties of culture. As noted, the conditions of orbital flight may be considered a source of mutagenic effects on cultures of microorganisms.

Estimates of radiation effect for a spacecraft on the Earth-Mars-Earth route

The space radiation environment predicted for a spacecraft on the Earth-Mars-Earth route at different solar activity levels is analyzed in terms of the Russian-devised models.

The dependence of solar energetic particle fluxes in the Earth-Mars-Earth route on solar activity period

This report presents the results of analyzing the relative importance of particle fluxes of different origin in the Earth-Mars-Earth route during different solar activity periods. The analysis has been made in terms of the galactic cosmic ray and solar energetic particle flux models developed at Moscow State University. The results demonstrate the extreme importance of the high-energy solar particle fluxes in interplanetary space even during the years of "quiet" Sun.

Amino acid substitutions of coiled-coil protein Tpr abrogate anchorage to the nuclear pore complex but not parallel, in-register homodimerization

Tpr is a protein component of nuclear pore complex (NPC)-attached intranuclear filaments. Secondary structure predictions suggest a bipartite structure, with a large N-terminal domain dominated by heptad repeats (HRs) typical for coiled-coil--forming proteins. Proposed functions for Tpr have included roles as a homo- or heteropolymeric architectural element of the nuclear interior. To gain insight into Tpr's ultrastructural properties, we have studied recombinant Tpr segments by circular dichroism spectroscopy, chemical cross-linking, and rotary shadowing electron microscopy. We show that polypeptides of the N-terminal domain homodimerize in vitro and represent alpha-helical molecules of extended rod-like shape. With the use of a yeast two-hybrid approach, arrangement of the coiled-coil is found to be in parallel and in register. To clarify whether Tpr can self-assemble further into homopolymeric filaments, the full-length protein and deletion mutants were overexpressed in human cells and then analyzed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, cell fractionation, and immuno-electron microscopy. Surplus Tpr, which does not bind to the NPC, remains in a soluble state of approximately 7.5 S and occasionally forms aggregates of entangled molecules but neither self-assembles into extended linear filaments nor stably binds to other intranuclear structures. Binding to the NPC is shown to depend on the integrity of individual HRs; amino acid substitutions within these HRs abrogate NPC binding and render the protein soluble but do not abolish Tpr's general ability to homodimerize. Possible contributions of Tpr to the structural organization of the nuclear periphery in somatic cells are discussed.

An analysis of the SEU rate of microcircuits exposed by the various components of space radiation

In the present paper the experimental and calculated data of SEU rate in microcircuits operating onboard spacecraft are compared. The main features of models and the calculation methods, which are incorporated in the SEREIS software package, are considered. The main features of models, and the calculation methods are considered. The contribution of the different space radiation components (ERB Protons; GCR particles and SEPs) to the SEU rate is discussed with an allowance for the shielding thickness.

Single event upsets of spacecraft microelectronics exposed to solar cosmic rays

The technique for evaluating the SEU rate induced by solar particle incidence on spacecraft microelectronics is described, including the contributions from the primary (heavy ion-induced) and secondary proton-induced) SEU mechanisms. The technique is based on original computational models for solar particle energy spectra and for SEU occurrence in electronics. The technique was used to analyze the data of the TDRS-1 Fairchild 93L422 IC exposed to protons and ions during the solar cosmic ray event of September-October 1989. The analysis included the distribution of the microcircuit shielding. A strong dependence of solar proton-to-ion ratio on the shielding thickness was indicated by the calculations.

[ANSA analysis. III. Synthesis of aminonaphthalinesulfonamide chromogenic substrates for protease analysis]

A review of synthetic methods of peptide substrates containing aminonaphthalenesulphonamide (ANSA) as the detected leaving group is presented. Variations of aminoacylic and peptide ANSA derivatives using ANSA as the C-protect group at all stages of the peptide synthesis, condensations of the ANSA with the N-protected peptide fragment obtained preliminary, the application of aminoacyl-ANSA as syntones are discussed. The synthesis scheme used while determining optimal ANSA substrates that involves reactions of aminoacyl derivatives of aminonaphthalenesulfonylchlorides with amines is shown. The application of di-tert-butylpyrocarbonate, DCC, chlorodimethylformiminium chloride, alkylchloroformate as condensing agents is described. The protection of amino groups was carried out by using Boc- and Cbz- groups.

[ANSA analysis. II. Aminonaphthalenesulfonamides--detecting groups for polysubstrate analysis of proteases]

The properties and synthetic methods of aminonaphthalenesulfonamides (ANSA) used as detectable groups of protease substrates are described. A list of chemical and physical properties of seventeen 5.1-ANSA with simple substituents is presented. A comparison of condition for the introduction and removal of acyl protecting groups (acetyl, trifluoroacetyl, phthaloyl, carbobenzoxy) used in ANSA synthesis is given. Examples of applicability of nitronaphthalenesulfonamides as intermediate compounds are given. The possibility of ANSA alkylation at both N(C) and N(S) is demonstrated. Substituted ANSA--sulfonylaziridenes--are used for the production of water-soluble derivatives containing the alcoxy group in the sulfonamide fragment. Criteria for the selection of detectable groups for polysubstrate analysis are discussed. Eighteen typical procedures for ANSA synthesis according to the schemes discussed are presented.