Nutrition and Ageing Flashcards
Define aging
time-depedent, gradual, progressive deterioration
Hallmarks of Aging
Altered Intercellular Communication
Genomic Instability
Telomere attrition
Epigenetic Alterations
Loss of Proteostasis
Deregulated nutrient-sensing
Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Cellular Senescence
Stem Cell Exhaustion
Genomic instability
Overtime DNA damage occurs from:
Exogenous sources (UV & chemicals)
Endogenous sources (ROS & spontaneous mutations)
- DNA repair mechanisms repair much of the damage, however not 100% efficient
- DNA damage accumulates -> decreased cell function and diseases
Epigenetic Alterations
- includes changes to acetylation and methylation at both DNA and the histone level, impacting the expression of many genes
- theoretically reversible
Telomere Attrition
- telomeres are protective caps at ends of chromosomes made from repeating DNA sequences
- each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter
- telomerase builds them back up but this decreases with aging
- cells that divide too many times become senescent when telomere length becomes too short
Loss of Proteostasis
- protein homeostasis
- effectiveness gradually decreases leading to a buildup of dysfunctional proteins
- chronic accumulation of incorrectly folded proteins is thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease pathologies
Deregulated Nutrient Sensing
- anabolic signalling pathways (insulin & IGF-1) appear to enhance aging while inhibition via caloric restriction or fasting have shown in animal studies to delay aging
- human research is lacking
Mitochondrial Dysfunction
- progressive mitochondrial dysfunction due to factors including accumulation of mtDNA damage
- results in decreased ATP synthesis and increased ROS production
- ROS at high levels increase aging associated damage
Cellular Senescence
- irreversible cell cycle arrest (stop dividing but dont die)
- results from telomere shortening & the accumulation of genetic damage
- accumulation of senescent cells which are less functional therefore reducing tissue function & contribute to the increasing inflammation associated with aging, by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines (inflammaging)
Stem Cell Exhaustion
- attrition in adult stem cells
- e.g. decrease in hematopoietic stem cell’s (HSCs) -> decreased immune function, termed immunosenescence
- results in decline in the regenerative potential of tissues
- drivers include accumulated DNA damage and telomere shortening
Altered Intercellular Communication
- Ageing involves changes that impact endocrine,
neuroendocrine and neuronal communication
between cells - ntercellular communication
pathways such as the renin-angiotensin,
adrenergic and insulin-IGF1 signaling tend to be
deregulated - increased inflammation, immune system changes
and changes to the extra cellular environment play
roles - “Inflammaging
- Sirtuins
may also have an impact on age-associated
inflammatory responses
Primary hallmarks - Causes of damage
genomic instability
telomere attrition
epigenetic alterations
loss of proteostasis
Antagonistic hallmarks - responses to damage
deregulated nutrient-sensing
mitochondrial dysfunction
cellular senscence
integrative hallmarks - culprits of the phenotype
stem cell exhaustion
altered intercellular communication
_______ are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent
lysine deacylases that promote longevity and healthy ageing
Sirtuins