Activation of the immune response is a key feature of aging  in mice.
The process of aging is complex involving numerous factors centered on transcriptional changes with advanced age. This study was aimed at elucidating mechanisms involved in mouse aging by conducting both gene expression and biochemical analyses on isolated mouse brain, heart and kidney. The gene expression analysis was not aimed at solely highlighting age-related transcriptional changes but also revealing regulated biological processes, cellular compartments, signaling and metabolic pathways. We have uncovered a conserved increase in the expression of genes mediating immune responses in all the tissues analyzed. In addition, elevated levels of lipid hydroperoxides (LPO)—an indicator of increased levels of radical oxygen species, implicate an oxidative stress-mediated activity of NF-kB signaling. In summary, these results suggest that transcriptional changes are most probably the downstream effect of environmental and endogenous factors constantly affecting the organism during its lifetime. In addition, we propose LPO as a potential biomarker of aging.
Brink
Thore C
TC
Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 73, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Regenbrecht
Christian
C
Demetrius
Lloyd
L
Lehrach
Hans
H
Adjaye
James
J
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species