Increased NADPH Levels Extend Life in Female Mice Only

Researchers here report on one of many attempts to slow aging via manipulation of antioxidant levels in cells, finding that the results are gender-specific. Over the past decade there have been mixed results from animal studies that use gene therapy and other methods to increase antioxidant levels in various parts of the cell. The idea is to reduce oxidative damage associated with aging, but it is not at all obvious that this is the mechanism by which aging is slowed in those approaches that do modestly extend life. The reactive oxidant molecules that cause damage are also signals, so changing the levels of these signals can have all sorts of effects on cellular metabolism, both positive and negative, and not all of which are fully understood at the present time. For example the general introduction of antioxidants throughout cells removes the benefits of exercise, as it blocks the mild increases in oxidative damage that the body reacts to in order to create those benefits. Targeting antioxidants to mitochondria only has produced modestly extended life spans with greater reliability, however. The gradual accumulation of cell damage plays a very important role in the origin of ageing. There are many sources of cellular damage, however, which ones are really responsible for ageing and which ones are inconsequential for ageing is a question that still lacks an answer. The Oxidative Hypothesis of Ageing - also known as the Free Radicals Hypothesis - was put forward in 1956. Sinc...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs