Interest in the study of the biology of aging (Gerontology), especially as it relates to humans (Geriatrics), has increased steadily in the last 50 years and continues today to be at the forefront of experimental biology. Due to the many recent advances in this area, a large variety of techniques are available and selection of the best experimental approach may be difficult. It is the purpose of this laboratory manual to provide the researcher with a specific group of techniques with emphasis on practical, hands-on information. A variety of protocols using molecular, cellular and physiological techniques are presented in detail and appropriate animal models have been selected for the study of aging and aging-related diseases. Non-invasive in vivo techniques are described for the study of Alzheimer's dementia and cardiovascular diseases. Techniques for detection of oxidative processes are presented to explore the role of free radicals in causing cell damage and mutations as well as techniques to study apoptosis (programmed cell death) for its role in cell death and aging processes.

A Molecular Methods: Introduction to Molecular Methods.- 1 Genotypic Selection of Age-Related DNA Rearrangements by PCR.- 2 Measurement of Antioxidants in Cutaneous Tissues.- B Cellular Methods: Introduction to Cellular Methods.- 3 Cellular Aging / Replicative Senescence.- 4 Methods for Evaluating a Slice Culture Model of Alzheimer's Disease.- 5 Cell Death.- 6 Method for Studying the Migration of Aging Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.- 7 Sensitized Chemiluminescence and Fluorescence Methods in Studies of Oxidative Stress.- C Animal Models: Introduction to Animal Models.- 8 How to Choose An Animal Model.- 9 Measuring Mortality and Reproduction in Large Cohorts of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly.- D Physiological Methods: Introduction to Physiological Methods.- 10 Methods for Evaluating in Vivo Rodent Models for Alzheimer's Disease.- 11 Dietary Restriction in Aging.- 12 Methods for the Evaluation of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenoccortical Axis in the Aged Rat.- 13 Assessing Blood Replacement Fluids for Organ Preservation and Low Temperature Surgery.- 14 Brain Imaging in Normal and in Alzheimer's Disease.