PMID: 9444884Jan 28, 1998Paper

Age and sex modulate renal expression of SGP-2 and transglutaminase and apoptosis of splenocytes, thymocytes, and macrophages

Journal of Investigative Medicine : the Official Publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
P C SinghalE Valderrama

Abstract

Aging in humans has been associated with the progressive loss of renal mass. This has been considered to account for a significant reduction of glomerular filtration rate in the aging population. In addition, aging is associated with a compromised immune system. Macrophages, thymocytes, and splenocytes play an important role in the maintenance of the immune system. We studied the effect of sex and aging on apoptosis of peritoneal macrophages, thymocytes, and splenocytes. In addition, we also studied the effect of sex and aging on mRNA expression of active cell death genes on the renal cortex. Rats in groups of 4 to 12 were killed at ages 2, 14, 30, 50, 75, and 100 weeks. Renal cortices, peritoneal macrophages, thymocytes, and splenocytes were isolated. DNA was isolated and run on agarose gel electrophoresis. Apoptosis of renal cells was evaluated by the TUNEL method and transmission electron microscopy. RNA was isolated from renal cortices and probed with specific cDNA probes for genes associated with active cell death, such as SGP-2, cathepsin-B, and tissue transglutaminase. Mesangial cells (MC) derived from younger and older rats were examined for the occurrence of apoptosis. The effect of estradiol and testosterone was studi...Continue Reading

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Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis