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We appraised the relationship between the biological and the chrono- logical age and estimated the rate of biological aging in HIV-infected patients. Two independent biomarkers, the relative telomere length and iron metabolism parame- ters, were analyzed in younger (,35) and older (.50) HIV-infected and uninfected patients (control group). In our control group, telomeres of younger patients were significantly longer than telomeres of older ones. However, in HIV-infected partici- pants, the difference in the length of telomeres was lost. By combining the length of telomeres with serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin iron-binding capacity, a new for- mula for determination of the aging process was developed. The life expectancy of the healthy population was related to their biological age, and HIV-infected patients were biologically older. The effect of antiretroviral HIV drug therapies varied with respect to the biological aging process. IMPORTANCE This article is focused on the dynamics of human aging. Moreover, its interdisciplinary approach is applicable to various systems that are aging.

We observed different outcomes upon the subacute exposure to the 128 mT highly homogeneous static magnetic field (SMF) when its orientation was (i) aligned with the vertical component of the geomagnetic field; (ii) in the opposite direction. We employed the fatty acids (FA) composition and digital image analyses (DIA) to provide insights into the underlying processes and examine the possible weak SMF effects. Swiss-Webster male mice were whole-body exposed for 1 h/day over five days. Brain tissue’s thin liquid chromatography resulted in brain FA composition, indicating a possible sequence of changes due to the SMF exposure. Quantitative DIA accurately assessed different image parameters. Delicate textural changes were revealed in the group where pathohistological or biochemical alterations have not been detected. DIA-based biological markers seem to be very promising for studying delicate tissue changes, which results from the high sensitivity and wide availability of DIA.

Objective: Inflammation is a biological response of tissue to harmful stimuli. A high-fat diet was linked to low-grade chronic liver inflammation, which can further lead to more severe health conditions. It is crucial to assess the intensity of inflammation and structural tissue changes to reduce the subjective judgment by the examiner. We propose fractal-based methods for early-stage low-degree liver inflammation grading. Methods: We have randomly divided 40 C57BL/6 female mice into four groups (control, linseed oil, palm oil, sunflower oil). After 100 days, animals were euthanized, and liver tissue collected for analyses. We performed calculations of fractal dimension, fractal lacunarity, multifractal spectra, local fractal dimension, and particle metrics, applicable to tissue segmentation and grading. Results: Pathohistological analysis of some liver tissue showed a low-grade inflammatory infiltrate around the portal vein of experimental groups subjected to different high-fat diets. Differences in fractal dimension and lacunarity of the inflamed tissue were, in most cases, statistically significant between the high-fat diet groups. Both the observed intensity and area of inflammation were lowest for the sunflower oil. The results of standard fractal analysis, local fractal analysis, and particle analysis were in an excellent agreement. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the efficiency of the fractal analysis based tools in the quantification of complexity and early-stage structural changes in inflamed liver tissue, which could potentially be used in the diagnostic workup of inflammation in the liver. The presented methods could be implemented within a wider scope computer-aided diagnostics system in a very straightforward manner.

Ageing affects various physiological and metabolic processes in a body and a progressive accumulation of oxidative damage stands out as often used explanation. One of the most powerful scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in all organs is melatonin. A majority of melatonin supplied to the body via blood originates from the pineal gland. However, we have been interested in a locally produced melatonin. We have used 2.5- and 36-months-old Wistar rats. Tissues were collected and gene expression of AA-NAT and ASMT, the two key enzymes in a synthesis of melatonin, was determined in brain, liver, kidney, heart, skin, and intestine. Since melatonin can influence antioxidant enzymes, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and the level of GSH were measured in liver. In addition, Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), and Manganese (Mn) were also determined in liver since these microelements might affect the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The expression of AA-NAT and ASMT was increased in liver and skin of old animals. A positive correlation in AA-NAT and ASMT expression was observed in liver, intestine and kidney. Moreover, the activity of CAT enzyme in liver was increased while SOD activity was decreased. SOD and CAT were probably affected by the observed decreased amount of Cu, Zn, and Mn in liver of old animals. In our model, extrapineal melatonin pathway in ageing consisted of complex interplay of locally produced melatonin, activities of SOD and CAT, and adequate presence of Cu, Zn and Mn microelements in order to defend organs against oxidative damage.

Purpose: It is considered that exposure to static magnetic fields (SMF) may have both detrimental and therapeutic effect, but the mechanism of SMF influence on the living organisms is not well understood. Since the adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are involved in both physiological and pathological processes, the modulation of Na+/K+-ATPase, ecto-ATPases and AChE activities, as well as oxidative stress responses were followed in synaptosomes isolated from rats after chronic exposure toward differently oriented SMF. Material and methods: Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three experimental groups (six animals per group): Up and Down group - exposed to upward and downward oriented SMF, respectively, and Control group. After 50 days, the rats were sacrificed, and synaptosomes were isolated from the whole rat brain and used for testing the enzyme activities and oxidative stress parameters. Results: Chronic exposure to 1 mT SMF significantly increased ATPases, AChE activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in both exposed groups, compared to control values. The significant decrease in synaptosomal catalase activity (1.48 ± 0.17 U/mg protein) induced by exposure to the downward oriented field, compared to those obtained for Control group (2.60 ± 0.29 U/mg protein), and Up group (2.72 ± 0.21 U/mg protein). Conclusions: It could be concluded that chronic exposure to differently oriented SMF increases ATPases and AChE activities in rat synaptosomes. Since brain ATPases and AChE have important roles in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases, SMF influence on the activity of these enzymes may have potential therapeutic importance. © 2018, Copyright © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

It has been shown that static magnetic field (SMF) of moderate intensity produces considerable impact on biological systems. SMF can be homogeneous or inhomogeneous. In many studies, inhomogeneous SMF was employed. Aware that inhomogeneous SMF could result in experimental variability, we investigated the influence of a vertical homogeneous SMF of different orientation. Male Swiss-Webster 9- to 10-week-old mice were subacutely exposed to upward- and downward-oriented SMF of 128 mT generated by a cyclotron for 1 h/day during a 5-day period. We found that SMF affected various organs and that these effects were, to some degree, dependent on SMF orientation. Both upward- and downward-oriented SMF caused a reduction in the amount of total white blood cells (WBC) and lymphocytes in serum, a decrease of granulocytes in the spleen, kidney inflammation, and an increase in the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). In addition, upward-oriented SMF caused brain edema and increased spleen cellularity. In contrast, downward-oriented SMF induced liver inflammation and a decrease in the amount of serum granulocytes. These effects might represent a specific redistribution of pro-inflammatory cells in blood and among various organs. It appears that homogeneous SMF of 128 mT affected specific organs in the body, rather than simultaneously and equally influencing the entire body system.

Fish oil affects oxidative stress parameters and changes in phospholipids fatty acids profiles in plasma, erythrocytes and tissues. We examined the effects of fish oil supplementation in young and old male Wistar rats (3 and 22 months old) on plasma phospholipids fatty acids profiles and blood oxidative stress parameters. Twenty young and twenty aged Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (ten animals each): two control groups and two supplemented groups treated for 6 weeks with fish oil capsules containing 45 mg eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and 30 mg docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Fish oil supplementation changed the percentage of long chain fatty acids (FAs): the elevated percentage of eicosatrienoic acid (ETA, 20:3), eicosapentanoic (EPA, 20:5), docosapentanoic acid (DPA, 22:5), n-3 fatty acids and decreased arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4). However, there were no age-related changes in total SH groups, the percentages of palmitic (16:0), palmitoleic (16:1), oleic (18:1 (n-9)) and linoleic acid (18:2) in plasma phospholipids and MUFA and they were neither reversed nor prevented by fish oil supplementation. Results showed that fish oil supplementation increased SOD and CAT activities in erythrocytes, and PON activity in the blood plasma of both young and aged rats. Furthermore, fish oil supplementation decreased lipid peroxidation (MDA) and nitrite levels in both young and aged rats implying better antioxidant protection and a lower level of oxidative pressure after fish oil supplementation. Our results suggest that fish oil supplementation is beneficial regarding better antioxidant protection in both young and aged rats, while applied treatment differs in plasma phospholipids FAs composition.

Background: The omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in many physiological processes. Their effect is well documented in neurodegenerative diseases and inflammatory diseases. Also, aging as a biophysiological process could be influenced by eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) components of fish oil. However there are not many studies showing the effect of PUFA (polyunsaturated FA) suplementation in eldery brain functions and the response to oxidative strees. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on levels of lipid peroxidation and oxidant/antioxidant status of brain tissue in aged (24 months old) Wistar rats. Methods: Animals were divided in two groups. Control group (n=8) was fed with standard laboratory food and received water ad libitum. Treated group (n=8) was also fed with standard laboratory food, water ad libitum and received fish oil capsules (EPA+DHA) for 6 weeks. Daily dose was 30mg EPA and 45mg DHA (capsules: 200mg EPA and 300mg DHA; in-house method). At the end of treatment animals were sacrificed and brains were collected and frozen on -80 degrees C. The levels of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde - MDA), activity of catalase (CAT) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were examined in cerebral cortex. Catalase activity was determined by measuring the decrease in absorbance (H2O2 degradation) at 240 nm for 3 min and expressed as U/mg protein. Total SOD (superoxide dismutase) activity was performed at room temperature according to the method of Misra and Fridovich. The extent of lipid peroxidation (LPO) was estimated as the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive product malondialdehyde (MDA) by using the method of Aruoma et al. The incorporation of fatty acids in cellular membranes was confirmed by gas chromatography. Results: Our results showed that lipid peroxidation significantly decreased in treated animal group, where MDA concentration was 0.38 +/- 0

Static magnetic fields (SMFs) are time independent fields whose intensity can be spatially dependent. This study investigates influence of subchronic continuous exposure to upward and downward directed SMF on hematological parameters and spleen cellularity in mice. The experiment is performed on the Northern hemisphere; consequently, the vertical component of geomagnetic field is directed downward. Male, Swiss-Webster, 6 weeks old mice were exposed to the vertically declining SMF. Mice were divided in three groups and continuously exposed or not exposed for 28 days to the SMF characterized by the averaged field of 16 mT and averaged field gradient of 10 mT/cm. Differently oriented SMF did not alter hemoglobin and hematocrit content among the groups. However, the groups exposed to the upward and downward fields had statistically significant higher levels of serum transferrin compared to the control. Moreover, spleen cellularity in animals in the downward group was significantly higher compared to the upward and control group. In addition, spleen lymphocytes in both of the exposed groups were significantly higher than in the control group. In contrast, spleen granulocytes in the exposed groups were significantly lower than in the control group. Significant decrease was also observed in brain and liver iron content with concomitant increase of iron in serum and spleen in exposed animals. Subchronic continuous exposure to 16 mT SMF caused lymphocyte and granulocyte redistribution between spleen and blood. This distribution is typical for stress induced hematological changes. These results suggest that observed changes were not due to an unspecific stress response, but that they were rather caused by specific adaptation to subchronic SMF exposure. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Background: The omega 3 fatty acids play an important role in many physiological processes. Their effect is well documented in neurodegenerative diseases and inflammatory diseases. Also, aging as a biophysiological process could be influenced by eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) components of fish oil. However there are not many studies showing the effect of PUFA (polyunsaturated FA) suplementation in eldery brain functions and the response to oxidative strees. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on levels of lipid peroxidation and oxidant/antioxidant status of brain tissue in aged (24 months old) Wistar rats. Methods: Animals were divided in two groups. Control group (n=8) was fed with standard laboratory food and received water ad libitum. Treated group (n=8) was also fed with standard laboratory food, water ad libitum and received fish oil capsules (EPA+DHA) for 6 weeks. Daily dose was 30mg EPA and 45mg DHA (capsules: 200mg EPA and 300mg DHA; in-house method). At the end of treatment animals were sacrificed and brains were collected and frozen on -80 degrees C. The levels of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde - MDA), activity of catalase (CAT) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were examined in cerebral cortex. Catalase activity was determined by measuring the decrease in absorbance (H2O2 degradation) at 240 nm for 3 min and expressed as U/mg protein. Total SOD (superoxide dismutase) activity was performed at room temperature according to the method of Misra and Fridovich. The extent of lipid peroxidation (LPO) was estimated as the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive product malondialdehyde (MDA) by using the method of Aruoma et al. The incorporation of fatty acids in cellular membranes was confirmed by gas chromatography. Results: Our results showed that lipid peroxidation significantly decreased in treated animal group, where MDA concentration was 0.38 +/- 0

The effects of fish oil supplementation in Wistar rats are focused on cardiovascular, endocrine, metabolic and antioxidant status changes. We determined plasma and liver phospholipid fatty acids (FAs) status and plasma lipid concentrations in aged Wistar rats. Our results showed differences in plasma and liver FAs profiles as well as plasma chlolesterol (CHOL), triglicerides (TG), high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), CHOL/HDL ratio (risk factor for atherosclerosis) and LDL/HDL ratio (risk for cardiovascular diseases) between treated and control group of animals. In fish oil treated group there were statistically significant changes in FAs profile in increasing linoleic acid (LA), dihomo-gamma linoleic acid, eicopentanoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and decreasing in arachidonic acid (AA) concentration. Also, liver phospholipids FAs results showed increasing concentrations of vascenic acid, LA, EPA, and DPA and decreasing concentration of AA after supplementation of fish oil compared to control group. However, concentrations of CHOL, LDL and non HDL concentrations decreased while HDL increased in fish oil group. CHOL/HDL, LDL/HDL ratios decreased. These findings suggest that long term treatment of fish oil in aged Wistar rats can be beneficial in decreasing LDL, and decreasing risk factors for developing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. (doi: 10.5562/cca1751)