Croatian medical journal
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Croatian medical journal · Apr 2020
A mathematical model reveals sex-specific changes in glucose and insulin tolerance during rat puberty and maturation.
To evaluate the effects of maturation and sex on glucose metabolism during glucose tolerance (GTT) and insulin tolerance tests (ITT) in young and adult male and female rats by using two different approaches - the conventional, which uses area under the curve and glucose curve, and mathematical modeling that identifies parameters necessary for determining the function that models glucose metabolism. ⋯ The mathematical model revealed female susceptibility to large glucose excursions, which are better reflected by ITT in young animals and by GTT in adults.
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Croatian medical journal · Apr 2020
Review Historical Article"For aging not passively endured, but actively experienced:" on Symposium on Gerontology from 1958.
The subjects of gerontology and geriatrics did not arouse stronger interest among Croatian scholars until the second half of the twentieth century. From 1952 to 1957, a number of Croatian medical experts gave lectures on gerontology at the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts. ⋯ In this article, we focused on the contents of Symposium, namely, on the discussions about geriatric terminology, theories of aging, epistemological issues in gerontology, as well as clinical experiences with older patients. We argue that Symposium marks the beginning of a synthetic and interdisciplinary approach to gerontology in Croatia.
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Croatian medical journal · Apr 2020
ReviewDysfunction and toxicity of damaged proteins in the etiology of aging and age-related degenerative and malignant diseases.
Health can be defined as a harmony, or homeostasis, of the activities of thousands of different proteins, whereas aging and diseases result from their disharmony manifested at the levels of cells and tissues. Such disharmony is caused primarily by dysfunction and toxicity of misfolded proteins damaged by oxidation. This is an overview of key data that inspired new concepts allowing interpretation and integration of the scientific literature on aging and age-related diseases. These concepts suggest strategies for prevention and attenuation of age-related degenerative and malignant diseases mimicking the life of super-centenarians.
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Croatian medical journal · Apr 2020
ReviewUse of pharmacogenomics in elderly patients treated for cardiovascular diseases.
Older people are increasingly susceptible to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or therapeutic failure. This could be mediated by considerable polypharmacy, which increases the possibility of drug-drug and drug-gene interactions. Precision medicine, based on individual genetic variations, enables the screening of patients at risk for ADRs and the implementation of personalized treatment regimens. ⋯ Pharmacogenetics consortia have issued guidelines for oral anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, statins, and some beta-blockers. Since the majority of pharmacogenetics recommendations are based on the assessment of single drug-gene interactions, it is imperative to develop tools for the prediction of multiple drug-drug-gene interactions, which are common in the elderly with comorbidity. The availability of genomic testing has grown, but its clinical application is still insufficient.
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Croatian medical journal · Apr 2020
ReviewMitochondrial unfolded protein response, mitophagy and other mitochondrial quality control mechanisms in heart disease and aged heart.
Mitochondria are involved in crucial homeostatic processes in the cell: the production of adenosine triphosphate and reactive oxygen species, and the release of pro-apoptotic molecules. Thus, cell survival depends on the maintenance of proper mitochondrial function by mitochondrial quality control. ⋯ Some previous studies have demonstrated that the activation of mitochondrial quality control mechanisms may be beneficial for the heart, while others have shown that it may lead to heart damage. Our aim was to describe the mechanisms by which mitochondrial quality control contributes to heart protection or damage and to provide evidence that may resolve the seemingly contradictory results from the previous studies.