Khalyavkin A.V. 1,2, Krutko V.N. 2 1 Institute of Biochemical Physics of RAS, Moscow, Russia
2 Institute for Systems Analysis, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: ab3711@mail.sitek.net
In accordance with classic genetic theories of senescence aging events are connected with either mutation accumulation or antagonistic pleiotropy. On the other hand the modern conceptions of genetic mechanisms controlling longevity and rate of aging claim that senescence is consequence of age-dependent changes in expression of set of genes, products of which are involved in a big and cross-talking net of specific signal transduction pathways. We know now that gene activity is dependent on the microenvironment in which it is expressed. In turn, the features of this microenvironment are highly connecting with macro-environment via sensor systems of an organism. Potentially agelessness of the somatic stem cells and an evaluation of theoretically attainable minimal rate of aging realizable in environmental conditions, which induce organisms to function optimally, as well as an analysis of the all findings taken as a whole, shows that they are compatible with the hypothesis that adequate living conditions are conducive to a significant deceleration of the human aging process. Moreover the newest findings indicate that in adequate internal milieu even senescent mitochondria, lens, stem cells, mature neurons etc. can fully restore lost status quo. The interplay of genetic makeup and environmental influences is known to be complex, with important consequences for the development and maintenance of living beings' phenotypes. Therefore fundamental to evolutionary biology is the tendency for organisms to become increasingly adapted to those environments to which they are most commonly exposed. For this reason study of natural aging by means of observation of animals in captivity as well as human beings in highly comfortable conditions will be misleading. Recent findings emphasize the importance of signaling in the regulation of life history traits. This opens an opportunity to modulate organisms’ aging and life span without changing environmental conditions towards more adequate ones in laboratory experiments. In fact, modified products of properly mutated genes involved in regulatory control circuits can mistakenly transform non-adequate external cues of artificial experimental conditions to the regular reaction of an organism on the quite natural environment. The latter may favor the life span extension by means of aging deceleration and an increase in stress resistance. The studies of such genetic modifications are important as they provide a unique view on the mechanisms of life span determination. They may also shed light on possible range of plasticity for both the rate of aging and stress resistance – the two areas of research that are crucial in understanding of the nature of longevity and mechanisms of its modulation by external and internal factors.
Influence of Aging Rate on Professional Adaptation
of WORKERS with Mental Activity
Kharkovlyuk-Balakina N.
Institute of Gerontology of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine,
Kiev, Ukraine
kbalakine@hotbox.ru
To date, actual work in labor physiology is a study of aging rate influence on working ability of person. However, the lack of integrated assessment criteria forces advanced study of psychophysiological indicators of professional adaptation in people of all ages in order to prevent professional fatigue.
Methods. Participants were 120 persons engaged in various kinds of mental work aged 21 to 60 years: namely, teachers, scientific researchers, operators, neurosurgeons. Mental performances were studied with computer-based system of psychophysiological diagnostics of operator activity. Aging rate was calculated by method developed in the Institute of Gerontology of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine.
Conclusions. Аnalysis of psychophysiological indicators of mental activity allows defining age specificity in the periods of the first mature age (I) – 21-35 years and the second mature age (II) -36 – 55 years (for women) and 36-60 years (for men). In the period (I) high mental activity is provided by high functional status of visual information processing with low indexes of latent periods of simple reaction time (SRT) and high short-term memory performance. In the period (II) mental activity is maintained at a high level of reliability due to the attention and perception functions which provide work stability.
The analysis of indexes of functional age of the inspected persons allows to establish influence of aging rate on professional adaptation to the terms of labour activity. In the period (I) normal aging rate was revealed in 94 % of scientific researchers and teachers 87 %, while neurosurgeons and operators showed 82 % and 80 % respectively. However, in the period (II) the percentage of rapidly aging subjects tend to increase up to 25 % in doctors, neurosurgeons and operators. Despite age involution of certain physiological systems, mental activity of professionals after age of 35 is still characterized by stable psychophysiological indicators of professional activity (perception, attention, short memory), which primarily confirms regulatory-adaptation aging theory of V.V. Frolkis.
WHAT WE USUALLY STUDY WHEN WE THINK WE STUDY AGING
Khokhlov A.N.
Evolutionary Cytogerontology Sector, School of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University,
Moscow, Russia
khokhlov@mail.bio.msu.ru
The considerably increased recently interest in experimental-gerontological research has led to a paradoxical situation: although more and more papers in the field appear, only a small part of them is really devoted to the study of mechanisms of aging. In my opinion, it is determined, inter alia, by the following circumstances: 1) As a rule, the classical definition of aging as a set of age-related changes, leading to an increase in the probability of death of organism is ignored. 2) The focus is placed upon achieving a longer life span, although it often has nothing to do with the impact on the aging process (in particular, quite successfully, you can increase life span of non-aging organisms; at the same time, the presence of aging does not necessarily indicate a low longevity). 3) Animals with certain abnormalities (like genetic disorders), increasing the probability of their death, are used as control, so any remedy against these pathologies lead to prolongation of life. 4) Too much importance is attached to an increase in average life span, which is largely determined by factors in no way related to aging. 5) Increasingly, gerontological experiments are conducted on model systems that allow obtaining only indirect information about the mechanisms of aging, the interpretation of which depends strongly on the fundamental concept to which the specific researchers adhere. Unfortunately, the above also applies to cytogerontological studies that became extremely popular in recent decades. In particular, many of the conclusions reached earlier on the basis of the results of experiments conducted on Hayflick's model (aging in vitro), were subsequently found to be wrong. In addition, our cytogerontological studies of various anti-aging factors with the help of the "stationary phase aging" model, the cell kinetics model and assessment of colony-forming ability, have shown that in very many cases the factors studied have no beneficial effect on the viability of cultured cells, although they prolong life in experimental animals and increase the well-being of humans. This allowed us to assume that, in many cases, the anti-aging agent action appears only at the organism level, and is not limited to just improving the viability of some of its constituent cells.
AGING OF ANIMALS VIEWED AS MACROAPOPTOSIS
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