The study of clinical findings and chronological age in Arab horses in association with telomerase expression

Aging is a complex phenomenon that induces many physiological changes from tissues and organs to cells and subcellular organelles. One of the most known outcomes of aging is a decline in the responsiveness of the immune system referred to as immunosenescence. Over the past years, the average lifespan of humans and animals has extended due to improvements in science. Currently, the number of aged horses facing age-related diseases is rising drastically. Telomere is indicative of biological age and the level of telomerase activity can be a determinant of telomere length in aging cells. In the absence of telomerase, telomere length will be gradually shortened with each cell division. P53, a tumor suppressor protein, is one of the key proteins in DNA damage response that harmonizes multiple cellular functions, including DNA repair, apoptosis, and senescence. This study investigates the role of telomerase gene (TERT) and P53 gene (Tp53), in aged equids and explores the association between them and clinical manifestation of the age-related disease (Colic, Osteoarthritis, Dental disorders, PPID, and Tendonitis). Blood was collected from 30 Arab horses from around Tabriz, Iran, and categorized in three age groups (1-10, 10-15, and >15 years old). DNA was extracted from peripheral blood; telomerase and p53 expression were measured using RT-PCR and the results were analyzed by GraphPad Prism. The analysis showed that age was directly correlated with p53 expression (P=0.001) while inversely correlated with TERT expression (P=0.0001). The overall study results suggest that manifestation of age-related diseases such as osteoarthritis and tendonitis were higher in aged horses based on a comparison among three age groups. In conclusion, the association between age and telomerase expression is analogous to previous studies in humans and other animal models. However, some studies concerning P53 function in the context of aging are controversial with present research.

کلیدواژه ها:

Aging ، Horse ، Immunosenescence ، P53 ، Telomerase