The Role of PGC-1α in Aging Skin Barrier Function.

Skin provides a physical and immune barrier to protect the body from foreign substances, microbial invasion, and desiccation. Aging reduces the barrier function of skin and its rate of repair. Aged skin exhibits decreased mitochondrial function and prolonged low-level inflammation that can be seen in other organs with aging.

Chronic infusion of the tryptophan metabolite kynurenine increases mean arterial pressure in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Chronic kidney disease is the loss of renal function that can occur from aging or through a myriad of other disease states. Rising serum concentrations of kynurenine, a tryptophan metabolite, have been shown to correlate with increasing severity of chronic kidney disease. This study used chronic intravenous infusion in conscious male Sprague-Dawley rats to test the hypothesis that kynurenine can induce renal damage and promote alterations in blood pressure, heart rate, and decreased renal function.

Exploring Skin Wound Healing Models and the Impact of Natural Lipids on the Healing Process.

Cutaneous wound healing is a complex biological process involving a series of well-coordinated events aimed at restoring skin integrity and function. Various experimental models have been developed to study the mechanisms underlying skin wound repair and to evaluate potential therapeutic interventions. This review explores the diverse array of skin wound healing models utilized in research, ranging from rodent excisional wounds to advanced tissue engineering constructs and microfluidic platforms.

Aquaporins in the Cornea.

The cornea is an avascular, transparent tissue that allows light to enter the visual system. Accurate vision requires proper maintenance of the cornea's integrity and structure. Due to its exposure to the external environment, the cornea is prone to injury and must undergo proper wound healing to restore vision.

The Assessment of Infection Risk in Patients with Vitiligo Undergoing Dialysis for End-Stage Renal Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition that causes patchy skin depigmentation. Although the mechanism by which vitiligo induces immunocompromise is unclear, other related autoimmune diseases are known to predispose those affected to infection. Individuals with vitiligo exhibit epidermal barrier disruption, which could potentially increase their susceptibility to systemic infections; patients with renal disease also show a predisposition to infection.

Risk factors and mortality in dialysis patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm: A retrospective cohort study.

In the general population, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is synonymous with vascular disease and associated with increased mortality. Vascular disease is common in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis, but there is limited information on AAA in this population. To address this issue, we queried the United States Renal Data System for risk factors associated with a diagnosis of AAA as well as the impact of AAA on ESRD patient survival.

Atopic Dermatitis and the Risk of Infection in End-Stage Renal Disease.

: Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema, is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting 16.5 million adults in the United States. AD is characterized by an impaired epidermal barrier that can predispose individuals to infection.

The Skin and Inflamm-Aging.

With its unique anatomical location facing both the external and internal environment, the skin has crucial functions, including shielding the body from damage caused by ultraviolet radiation and chemicals, preventing water loss, acting as a primary barrier against pathogens, participating in metabolic processes like vitamin D production and temperature control and relaying information to the body through sensory and proprioceptor nerves. Like all organ systems, skin is known to undergo multiple changes with aging. A better understanding of the mechanisms that mediate aging-related skin dysfunction may allow the creation of targeted therapeutics that have beneficial effects not only on aged skin but also on other organs and tissues that experience a loss of or decline in function with aging.

Association of psoriasis and stroke in end-stage renal disease patients.

Background: Previous research in the general population suggests that the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of vascular events, such as stroke. Thus, psoriasis may also represent a risk factor for stroke in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.

Methods: We queried the United States Renal Data System for incident dialysis patients between 2004 and 2015.

Pressure Ulcer Diagnosis Is Associated with Increased Mortality in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: A Retrospective Study.

Pressure ulcers are associated with multiple comorbidities and annually affect approximately 3 million Americans, directly accounting for approximately 60,000 deaths per year. Because patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are known to present with unique factors which impair wound healing, pressure ulcers diagnosed in ESRD patients might independently increase the risk of mortality. To investigate the association between pressure ulcer diagnosis and mortality risk in the ESRD population, a retrospective analysis of the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) database was performed.

Demographic and clinical risk factors for diagnosis of sleep disorders in ESRD patients.

Background: Sleep disturbances in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are common and more prevalent than in the general population. This study aims to assess the demographic and clinical risk factors for the diagnosis of sleep disorders in ESRD patients.

Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) to evaluate risk factors for the diagnosis of sleep disorders, including hypersomnolence, insomnia, restless leg syndrome (RLS), or obstructive or central sleep apnea (OSA/CSA).

Phosphatidylglycerol to Treat Chronic Skin Wounds in Diabetes.

This review proposes the use of dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) to enhance diabetic wound healing. Initially, the characteristics of diabetic wounds are examined, focusing on the epidermis. Hyperglycemia accompanying diabetes results in enhanced inflammation and oxidative stress in part through the generation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), in which glucose is conjugated to macromolecules.

Dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol Inhibits Heat Shock Protein B4 (HSPB4)-Induced Inflammatory Pathways In Vitro.

Our previous work shows that dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) accelerates corneal epithelial healing in vitro and in vivo by unknown mechanisms. Prior data demonstrate that DOPG inhibits toll-like receptor (TLR) activation and inflammation induced by microbial components (pathogen-associated molecular patterns, PAMPs) and by endogenous molecules upregulated in psoriatic skin, which act as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to activate TLRs and promote inflammation. In the injured cornea, sterile inflammation can result from the release of the DAMP molecule, heat shock protein B4 (HSPB4), to contribute to delayed wound healing.

Phospholipase D mediates very low-density lipoprotein-induced aldosterone production, in part, via lipin-1.

Aldosterone is considered to be a link between hypertension and obesity; obese individuals have high serum levels of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). VLDL has been shown to induce aldosterone production in multiple adrenal zona glomerulosa models, mediated in part by phospholipase D (PLD). PLD is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphatidylcholine to produce phosphatidic acid (PA), a lipid second messenger that can also be dephosphorylated by lipin to yield diacylglycerol (DAG), yet another lipid signal.

Advanced Glycation End Products and Activation of Toll-like Receptor-2 and -4 Induced Changes in Aquaporin-3 Expression in Mouse Keratinocytes.

Prolonged inflammation and impaired re-epithelization are major contributing factors to chronic non-healing diabetic wounds; diabetes is also characterized by xerosis. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and the activation of toll-like receptors (TLRs), can trigger inflammatory responses. Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) plays essential roles in keratinocyte function and skin wound re-epithelialization/re-generation and hydration.

Update on the Role of Glucocorticoid Signaling in Osteoblasts and Bone Marrow Adipocytes During Aging.

Purpose Of Review: Bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) in the skeleton likely plays a variety of physiological and pathophysiological roles that are not yet fully understood. In elucidating the complex relationship between bone and BMAT, glucocorticoids (GCs) are positioned to play a key role, as they have been implicated in the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) between osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. The purpose of this review is to illuminate aspects of both endogenous and exogenous GC signaling, including the influence of GC receptors, in mechanisms of bone aging including relationships to BMAT.

Innate Immune System Activation, Inflammation and Corneal Wound Healing.

Corneal wounds resulting from injury, surgeries, or other intrusions not only cause pain, but also can predispose an individual to infection. While some inflammation may be beneficial to protect against microbial infection of wounds, the inflammatory process, if excessive, may delay corneal wound healing. An examination of the literature on the effect of inflammation on corneal wound healing suggests that manipulations that result in reductions in severe or chronic inflammation lead to better outcomes in terms of corneal clarity, thickness, and healing.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and mortality in end-stage renal disease.

Background: In the general population, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is associated with increased all-cause mortality. Transplant patients have been shown to have an increased risk of developing cSCC, and their cSCC is associated with an increased risk for mortality. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, there is extensive mortality and immune dysfunction.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections in patients with end-stage renal disease: Prevalence, risk factors, and mortality.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease has increased in prevalence in the USA, however, little is known on NTM in the population with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Thus, we investigated patients with ESRD to determine risk factors for NTM disease and mortality. We queried the United States Renal Data System from 2005 to 2015 using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9/ICD-10 codes to identify NTM and risk factors.

Association of psoriasis with myocardial infarction in end-stage renal disease patients.

Background: Previous research in non-dialysis patients suggests that the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of severe vascular events like myocardial infarction (MI). Thus, we determined whether psoriasis represents a significant risk factor for MI in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.

Methods: We queried the United States Renal Data System for ESRD patients starting dialysis between 2004 and 2015.