Expression of calpain-calpastatin system (CCS) member proteins in human lymphocytes of young and elderly individuals; pilot baseline data for the CALPACENT project.

摘要

Ubiquitous system of regulatory, calcium-dependent, cytoplasmic proteases – calpains – and theirudendogenous inhibitor – calpastatin – is implicated in the proteolytic regulation of activation, proliferation, andudapoptosis of many cell types. However, it has not been thoroughly studied in resting and activated humanudlymphocytes yet, especially in relation to the subjects’ ageing process. The CALPACENT project is an internationalud(Polish-Italian) project aiming at verifying the hypothesis of the role of calpains in the function of peripheral bloodudimmune cells of Polish (Pomeranian) and Italian (Sicilian) centenarians, apparently relatively preserved in comparisonudto the general elderly population. In this preliminary report we aimed at establishing and comparing the baselineudlevels of expression of μ- and m-calpain and calpastatin in various, phenotypically defined, populations of humanudperipheral blood lymphocytes for healthy elderly Sicilians and Poles, as compared to these values observed inudyoung cohort.