Rab proteins geranylgeranyltransferase component A 1 (Choroideremia protein) (Rab escort protein 1) (REP-1) (TCD protein) [REP1] [TCD]

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[Molecular regulative mechanisms of aging and interventional effects of Chinese herbal medicine].

Aging is a gradual process during the loss of functions in cells,organs and tissues by time. The molecular mechanisms of aging-related theories include the classical ones such as telomere,oxygen radical and nonenzymatic glycosylation,as well as the newly proposed ones such as DNA methylation,mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)and autophagy. The latest study showed the anti-aging effect of autophagy in hematopoietic stem cells. In recent years,based on the molecular regulative mechanisms of aging,a number of the promising anti-aging drugs have been found,including nicotinamide mononucleotide(NMN)and FOXO4-DRI,a peptide of anti-aging. In addition,there are many new discoveries in the field of plant extracts,in which,the extracts from Chinese herbal medicine(CHM),some single CHMs and the classical prescriptions of CHM,represented by curcumin and resveratrol,have the partial anti-aging effects by regulating the molecular mechanisms of aging both in vivo and in vitro. In brief,developing or exploring anti-aging drugs,especially the natural drugs,is one of the main development directions in the field of anti-aging research in the basis of the molecular regulative mechanisms of aging.

MeSH Terms

  • Aging
  • Autophagy
  • DNA Methylation
  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Humans
  • Plant Extracts

Keywords

  • Chinese herbal medicine
  • aging
  • anti-aging
  • autophagy
  • molecular mechanism


[Molecular mechanisms of autophagy in regulating renal aging and interventional effects of Chinese herbal medicine].

Aging is the gradual functional recession of the living tissues or organs caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors together. Autophagy is a process of degrading cytoplasmic components mediated by lysosomes in eukaryotic cells. Kidney is a typical target organ of aging. Autophagy regulates renal aging. Decrease in autophagy can accelerate renal aging,whereas,increase in autophagy can delay renal aging. During the process of regulating renal aging,the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and its related signaling pathways including the adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mTOR,the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ serine-threonine kinase(Akt)/mTOR,the AMPK/silent information regulation 1 (Sirt1) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) play the important roles in renal aging. Regulating the key signaling molecules in these pathways in vivo can control renal aging. Some Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and their extracts with the effects of nourishing kidney or activating stasis, such as Cordyceps sinensis, curcumin and resveratrol have the beneficial effects on renal aging and/or autophagy. Therefore,revealing the pharmacological effects of CHM in anti-renal aging based on the molecular mechanisms of autophagy will become one of the development trends in the future study.

MeSH Terms

  • Adenylate Kinase
  • Animals
  • Autophagy
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Humans
  • Kidney
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Signal Transduction
  • Sirtuin 1
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta

Keywords

  • Chinese herbal medicine
  • autophagy
  • mTOR signaling pathway
  • molecular mechanisms
  • renal aging


Choroideremia: effect of age on visual acuity in patients and female carriers.

The extent and time course of vision loss in Choroideremia (CHM) is still unclear. We undertook this study to quantitate the change in visual acuity (VA) over time in order to gain a better understanding of the natural course of this retinal disorder. Corrected VA of 120 males with CHM and 53 female carriers were collected from 24 studies and/or case reports published between 1981 and 2010, as well as from data on 15 patients examined at the Cole Eye Institute (Cleveland Clinic). Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were used to investigate the relationship between VA and age, as well as the progression rate of VA with age, respectively. Age grouping effects were investigated using ANOVA. The mean age of affected males was 36.6 ± 17.7 years. The mean logMAR VA was 0.35 ± 0.53. There was a significant 0.0072 decrease in logMAR VA per year (p = 1.22 × 10(-4)). There was a significant difference between VA of patients <50 years of age and those >50 years (0.27 ± 0.39 vs. 0.61 ± 0.81, p = 2.90 × 10(-5)). When we compared the rate of VA loss for patients <50 years vs. those >50 years, we also found a significant difference (0.01 ± 0.04 vs. 0.06 ± 0.08, p = 1.23 × 10(-2)). The average age of female carriers was 36.4 ± 17.7 years, with an average logMAR VA of 0.36 ± 0.6. There was no significant correlation between VA of female carriers and age (p = 0.12) with 46% of female carriers having a VA better than 20/20 at an average age of 33 years compared to 25% of affected males at 30 years. In affected males with CHM, VA decreases very slowly until subjects reach 50 years of age, at which time the rate and extent of vision loss become significantly higher. Additionally, VA decreases more rapidly as individuals get older. In contradistinction to affected males, VA loss in female carriers is much milder.

MeSH Terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aging
  • Child
  • Choroideremia
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Time Factors
  • Visual Acuity
  • Young Adult


Chinese herbal medicine for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Age Associated Memory Impairment: a review of randomised controlled trials.

This review assesses the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Age Associated Memory Impairment (AAMI). Electronic searches of English and Chinese databases and hand searches of Chinese journal holdings were conducted. Randomised controlled trials comparing orally administered CHM with placebo, no intervention or other therapy were considered. Ginkgo biloba was excluded. Ten trials met inclusion criteria. Eight different CHM were investigated. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad scale and five studies scored three or above. Two studies compared CHM with placebo and eight with another intervention. This review found an overall benefit on some outcome measures for the eight CHMs involved in the 10 RCTs but methodological and data reporting issues were evident. Meta-analysis of three studies found the effects of the CHMs were at least equivalent to piracetam on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. No severe adverse events were reported.

MeSH Terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging
  • Cognition
  • Cognition Disorders
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Memory
  • Memory Disorders
  • Mental Status Schedule
  • Middle Aged
  • Nootropic Agents
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Treatment Outcome