The age-related changes in the immune functions (immunosenescence) may be mediated by an increase of oxidative stress and damage affecting leukocytes. Although the "oxidation-inflammation" theory of aging proposes that phagocytes are the main immune cells contributing to "oxi-inflamm-aging", this idea has not been corroborated. The aim of this work was to characterize the age-related changes in...

The interrelationships of vitamins E and A in maintaining various structural components of the retina were studied in four groups of weanling female rats fed purified diets adequate or deficient in each vitamin: +E, +A; -E, +A; +E, -A; and -E, -A. Groups deficient in retinol (-A) were supplemented with retinoic acid. After 14, 21, and 35 weeks, the retinas were examined histologically and ultra...

PURPOSE One of the most prominent changes that occurs in the retinal pigment epithelium during senescence is the progressive accumulation of the autofluorescent pigment lipofuscin. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of nonenzymatic oxidation of photoreceptor outer segments in retinal pigment epithelium lipofuscin formation. METHODS Albino Fischer rats were given intravitreal inje...

Based on both animal and human studies, inequality in food intake and social instability has adverse effects on the health of individuals and the community. However, it is not known whether social instability, food deprivation and food inequality affect neuronal death and premature aging in young animals. To address this question, the effects of these adverse situations, histopathological chang...

Adult human retinal pigment epithelium has been enzymatically isolated and established In tissue culture. Primary cultures survived three to six months. Occasionally, cell lines spontaneously evolved from primary cultures. Melanin granules decreased with the age of the culture, became less pigmented but retained some characterstics of melanin-producing cells. Lipofuscin granules are present, bu...

Lipofuscins are commonly present in the macrophages of the marrow. In unstained preparations they may be confused with haemosiderin, but they are readily distinguished by fluorescence microscopy. In contrast to the belief that lipofuscins are a manifestation of senility, no age dependence has been demonstrated. Exceptionally large amounts have been found in illnesses accompanied by fever and le...

Background: Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCL) is a neurodegenerative condition of lysosomal metabolism due to accumulation lipofuscin in neurons. The predominant symptoms are motor and cognitive regression, seizures, ataxia retinopathy. Speech-language disorders such as dysarthria, aphasia dysphagia have been reported.

Mild discolouration of the articular cartilage is known to gradually occur during aging. However, pathological tissue pigmentation is occasionally induced under several specific conditions. In the present case, we performed total knee replacement in a patient with recurrent haemarthrosis. However, during the operation, we observed severe black colouration of the knee articular cartilage, due to...