121 research outputs found
Regulation of Immunological Pathways by MicroRNAs in Health and Disease
No full textMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding, single stranded RNA molecules (19-24 nucleotides in length) that influence mRNA or protein levels by promoting either mRNA degradation or by preventing protein translation. In silico target prediction has revealed that they might regulate more than two thirds of human genes therefore playing an important role in physiological as well as pathophysiological processes (Ambros 2004; Lim, Lau et al. 2005). As such miRNAs have been identified as mediators of biological processes such as inflammation, angiogenesis, mitochondrial metabolism, cardiac and skeletal muscle contractile force generation and muscle hypertrophy and are suggested to play a significant role in exercise immunology by influenceing important immunological pathways such as the Nf-κB or the TGF-β signaling pathways (Wessner, Gryadunov-Masutti et al. 2010; Bronevetsky and Ansel 2013)
Besides their functional role within cells, significant levels of miRNAs were detected in serum and other body fluids such as plasma, saliva, and urine. In serum they are remarkably stable due to their association with RNA-binding proteins, exosomes or HDL. Given this stability and the fact that the expressions of certain miRNAs are linked to specific tissues, expectations for the use of circulating miRNA as non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic appraisal of diseases such as cancer, cardiac failure, diabetes mellitus, acute hepatitis but also inflammageing and muscle damage after intense exercise are raised (Olivieri, Spazzafumo et al. 2012; Weiland, Gao et al. 2012)
References:
Ambros, V. (2004). The functions of animal microRNAs. Nature 431(7006): 350-355.
Bronevetsky, Y. and K. M. Ansel (2013). Regulation of miRNA biogenesis and turnover in the immune system. Immunol Rev 253(1): 304-316.
Lim, L. P., N. C. Lau, et al. (2005). Microarray analysis shows that some microRNAs downregulate large numbers of target mRNAs. Nature 433(7027): 769-773.
Olivieri, F., L. Spazzafumo, et al. (2012). Age-related differences in the expression of circulating microRNAs: miR-21 as a new circulating marker of inflammaging. Mech Ageing Dev 133(11-12): 675-685.
Weiland, M., X. H. Gao, et al. (2012). Small RNAs have a large impact: circulating microRNAs as biomarkers for human diseases. RNA Biol 9(6): 850-859.
Wessner, B., L. Gryadunov-Masutti, et al. (2010). Is there a role for microRNAs in exercise immunology? A synopsis of current literature and future developments. Exerc Immunol Rev 16: 22-39
Redox biology / Chromosomal stability in buccal cells was linked to age but not affected by exercise and nutrients - Vienna Active Ageing Study (VAAS), a randomized controlled trial
No full textThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of six months strength training with or without supplementing protein and vitamins, on chromosomal integrity of buccal cells in institutionalized elderly.One hundred seventeen women and men (65–98 years) performed either resistance training (RT), RT combined with a nutritional supplement (RTS) or cognitive training (CT) twice per week for six months. Participants’ fitness was measured using the 6 min walking, the chair rise, and the handgrip strength test. Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity parameters were investigated with the Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMcyt) assay.Six minutes walking and chair rise performance improved significantly, however, no changes of the parameters of the BMcyt were detected. Age and micronuclei (MN) frequency correlated significantly, for both women (r = 0.597, p = 0.000) and men (r = 0.508, p = 0.000). Squared regressions revealed a significant increase in the MN frequency of buccal cells with age (R2 = 0.466, p = 0.000).Interestingly and contrary to what was shown in blood lymphocytes, chromosomal damage in buccal cells increases until very old age, which might qualify them as a valid biomarker for aging. Unexpectedly, in this group of institutionalized elderly, resistance training using elastic bands had no effect on chromosomal damage in buccal cells.Bernhard Franzkea, Barbara Schober-Halper, Marlene Hofmann, Stefan Oesen, Anela Tosevska, Armen Nersesyan, Siegfried Knasmüller, Eva-Maria Strasser, Marlies Wallner, Barbara Wessner, Karl-Heinz WagnerVersion of recor
The Heart of a Business Ethic: The Hansen-Wessner Memorial Lecture Series
No full textDonald Gibson is a contributing author, The Nature of the Exercise of Authority: Response.”, pp, 166-169.
Book description: Over the past several years a cascade of corporate scandals have erupted. Savings and provisions for retirement have shrunk drastically. Jobs have been lost. One of the world\u27s largest and best-known accounting firms is gone. Ordinary people have been hurt and they have lost confidence in business leaders. The on-going public debate over business ethics and corporate reform points to one common conclusion: Things cannot be corrected by simply adding more laws and new rules. The solution will come from high moral leadership. The Heart of A Business Ethic is based on the Hansen-Wessner Lectureship Series established by the ServiceMaster Foundation to consider the source of moral authority and ethical behavior in business. The eight lectures in this series were presented at major universities in the U.S. and Britain, and brought together some of the most distinguished business experts of our time. What they have to say is important for business teachers and students, and business leaders at every level. The scandals at Enron, Tyco and others have generated many books on business ethics, but none offer the expertise or breadth of thinking that this volume does. The Heart of A Business Ethic is useful to professors, students, and practitioners who not only want to understand what has happened, but who also want to think through the basis for a new standard of morality in business. -- Publisher description.https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/business-books/1017/thumbnail.jp
Circulating cell-free DNA, telomere length and bilirubin\ud in the Vienna Active Ageing Study: Exploratory analysis of a\ud randomized, controlled trial
No full text<i>Telomere length</i> (TL) in blood cells is widely used in human studies as a molecular marker of ageing. <i>Circulating cell-free DNA</i> (cfDNA) as well as <i>unconjugated bilirubin</i> (UCB) are dynamic blood constituents whose involvement in age-associated diseases is largely unexplored. To our knowledge, there are no published studies integrating all three parameters, especially in individuals of advanced age. Here we present a secondary analysis from the <i>Vienna Active Aging Study</i> (VAAS), a randomized controlled intervention trial in institutionalized elderly individuals (n = 101). Using an exploratory approach we combine three blood-based molecular markers (TL, UCB and cfDNA) with a range of primary and secondary outcomes from the intervention. We further look at the changes occurring in these parameters after 6-month resistance exercise training with or without supplementation. A correlation between UCB and TL was evident at baseline (p < 0.05), and both were associated with increased chromosomal anomalies such as nucleoplasmatic bridges and nuclear buds (p < 0.05). Of the three main markers explored in this paper, only cfDNA decreased significantly (p < 0.05) after 6-month training and dietary intervention. No clear relationship could be established between cfDNA and either UCB or TL. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01775111)
Pottsville Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1983
No full textPottsville Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1983.
Front row from: Beverly Kessler, Sherry Buman, Shelley L. Barrett, Michele Zuanet, Willian J. Waltersheid, Sheila A. Jakubco, Lynn A. Lazarchick, Marybeth Barket, Lauri A. Linkhorst,
2nd row: Nancy Skutinsky, Barbara Nolter, Jean Austra, Christine Morrison, ??, Lori Yanalavage, Mary E. Brahler,
3rd row: Susan Kuczynski, Ann Kwiatkowski, Joan NcNelis, Constance Chowka, Antje Leich, Michelle Prelovsky, Brenda Wolfe, Sheryl Wozniewicz, Sandra Banevich
4th row: Susan Swinko, Cheryl Wallace, ??, Mark V. Wessner, Mary Ann Marmas, ??, Lisa Shaw, Nancy Goodmanhttps://scholarlyworks.lvhn.org/lvhn-image-archives/1646/thumbnail.jp
Age-related differences of microRNA-21 in leukocytes and its association with physical performance
No full textINTRODUCTION: Several studies suggest chronic inflammation as an underlying biological mechanism for the decline in physical performance of elderly (Cesari et al., 2004; Tiainen et al., 2010). Moreover, it has been shown that habitual exercise ameliorates the higher proinflammatory gene expression in leukocytes of elderly (Gano et al., 2011). Within the last years several microRNAs (short, non-coding RNAs) have been demonstrated to regulate gene expression also in the context of exercise immunology (Wessner et al., 2010). Interestingly, some of these microRNAs (miRs) such as miR-21 and miR-146 are involved in pathways important for ageing as well as inflammatory processes (Olivieri et al. 2012). Therefore, the main aims of the current study were (1) to investigate whether miR-21 and miR-146 levels in leukocytes are affected by age and (2) to correlate performance levels of elderly to miR gene expression levels.
METHODS: Healthy young (n=7, age: 25.28 ± 2.3 years) and old (n=25, age: 83.40 ± 5.63 years) females participated in the study. After an overnight fast, leukocytes were isolated from heparinized blood using BD Vacutainer CPT tubes. miR-21 and miR146 gene expression in leukocytes was determined by quantitative RT-PCR using miScript Primer Assays (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Additonally, leukocyte numbers and inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, hs-IL6, IL1-ra) were quantified. In order to relate potential inflammtaory markers to the fitness level of the elderly, several functional tests were performed (handgrip, 6min walking test, chair-rise test, isokinetic measurement of knee extension and flexion). Differences between groups were detected by unpaired t-tests. Correlations between markers were characterized using Pearson correlation coefficients.
RESULTS: Interestingly, miR-21 expression in leukocytes was significantly enhanced in the elderly (+55.1%, p=0.036) while miR-146a levels were not affected by age (p=0.492). However, miR-21 correlated signifantly with hs-CRP levels (r=0.352; p=0.033), we did not detect any associations between miR-21 expression and performance parameters of the elderly: Handgrip (r=0.533; p=0.121), 6-min Walking Test (r=0.231; p=0.220), Chair Rise (r=0.336; p=0.070), Peak Torque knee extension (r=0.589; p=0.105) as well as flexion (r=0.203; p=0.291).
CONCLUSION: In conclusion these preliminary results show that miR-21 seems to be enhanced with age but not influenced by fitness level of the elderly. Gene targets of miR-21 have been identified in the TGF-β signaling pathway. Therefore, next steps would be to associate the changes in miR-21with its potential targets to further elucidate its role in the ageing process
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