title: A probabilistic approach to ageing and elimination of senescent plasma protein.
abstract: A probabilistic mechanism of plasma protein ageing and elimination is suggested, based on the following assumptions: (1) ageing of plasma protein molecules is the result of their interaction with some microenvironmental factors, acting as disturbing factors; (2) a protein species is characterized by a definite spectrum of conformational substates, some of which, "altered" substates, are specifically recognized by a selective catabolic system and then compulsorily eliminated; (3) the disturbing (ageing) factors act by increasing the probability of reaching an "altered" substate. Based on these assumptions a mathematical model, giving the expression of the normalized catabolic rate as a function of the frequency and the effectiveness of disturbing impacts, is set up and some possible correlations with physicochemical data are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D011336:Probability; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins