Aging delay in aged mice receiving a blood enzyme from young mice



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A study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found a new way to fight the years. Research has revealed that a protein that is abundant in the blood of young mice plays a key role in maintaining the health of young and healthy mice.

Extend the life of 16%

Protein is an enzyme called eNAMPT and researchers found that supplementing it with older mice extended their lifespan by about 16%. The protein is responsible for producing a fuel called NAD.

"We have found a totally new path to healthy aging," said lead author Shin-ichiro Imai, MD, Ph.D., professor of developmental biology.

"The fact that we can take eNAMPT in the blood of young mice and give it to elderly mice, and find that older mice show significant improvements in their health, including increased physical activity and better sleep – is remarkable."

Imai's work differs from other studies involving the transfusion of whole blood from young mice to aged mice. Instead, the Imai group increased eNAMPT levels only.

The results were impressive. "We were surprised by the dramatic differences between the aged mice that received the NAMPT from young mice and the aged mice given saline as a control," Imai said.

"These are older mice with no specific genetic modification, and when they are supplemented with eNAMPT, their wheel behaviors, sleep patterns, and physical appearance – such as thicker, shinier fur – resemble young mice. "

The Imai group has also experimented with other ways to strengthen NAD by administering oral doses of a molecule called NMN, produced by the chemical eNAMPT.

Maintain NAD levels

"We believe that the body has many redundant systems to maintain appropriate NAD levels because it is very important," Imai said.

"Our work and that of others suggest that it governs the length of our lives and our health status as we get older." Knowing that NAD inevitably decreases with age, that it becomes "It's about worms, fruit flies, mice or people, many research management interventions that could maintain NAD levels as we get older."

In addition, research has shown that levels of eNAMPT in the blood are strongly correlated with the number of days of residence of mice. All mice that received control saline had died before day 881, about 2.4 years. While in mice given eNAMPT, one of them was still alive, exceeding 1,029 days, or about 2.8 years.

"We could predict with surprising accuracy how long the mice would live according to their circulating eNAMPT levels," Imai said.

"We do not yet know if this association is present in humans, but that suggests that the levels of eNAMPT should be further investigated to see if it could be used as a potential biomarker for aging."

The study also found that women had higher enzyme levels. The results are published in the journal Cell metabolism.

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