近日,刊登在國際雜誌Nature Communications上的一篇研究論文報告說,關節炎患者廣泛使用的一種飲食補充物能延長蠕蟲和衰老小鼠的壽命。與糖相關的化學物質「D-葡糖胺」(該物質被認為對人類使用是安全的,購買無需處方)是通過模仿含碳水化合物低的一種飲食的分子效應產生這種壽命延長效果的。
能延長生物壽命的化學物質是人們迫切想得到的,但能夠可重現地延長小鼠壽命的並不是很多,一般被認為對人類使用安全的就更少了。Michael Ristow及同事對比較「老」的、大概兩歲的小鼠使用了氨基糖「D-葡糖胺」,發現對兩種性別的小鼠它都能延長其壽命。通過研究該效應在蠕蟲身上的機制基礎,這些研究人員發現,「D-葡糖胺」能降低葡萄糖代謝和增加胺基酸周轉。
鑑於「D-葡糖胺」早就被人類使用,甚至高劑量也普遍被認為是安全的,所以本文作者提出:「D-葡糖胺」有可能被廣泛用作幹預手段,來延長人類的健康時間或壽命。 (生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦的英文摘要:
Nature Communications doi:10.1038/ncomms4563
D-Glucosamine supplementation extends life span of nematodes and of ageing mice
Sandra Weimer, Josephine Priebs, Doreen Kuhlow, Marco Groth, Steffen Priebe, Johannes Mansfeld, Troy L. Merry, Sébastien Dubuis, Beate Laube, Andreas F. Pfeiffer, Tim J. Schulz, Reinhard Guthke, Matthias Platzer, Nicola Zamboni, Kim Zarse & Michael Ristow
D-Glucosamine (GlcN) is a freely available and commonly used dietary supplement potentially promoting cartilage health in humans, which also acts as an inhibitor of glycolysis. Here we show that GlcN, independent of the hexosamine pathway, extends Caenorhabditis elegans life span by impairing glucose metabolism that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK/AAK-2) and increases mitochondrial biogenesis. Consistent with the concept of mitohormesis, GlcN promotes increased formation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) culminating in increased expression of the nematodal amino acid-transporter 1 (aat-1) gene. Ameliorating mitochondrial ROS formation or impairment of aat-1-expression abolishes GlcN-mediated life span extension in an NRF2/SKN-1-dependent fashion. Unlike other calorie restriction mimetics, such as 2-deoxyglucose, GlcN extends life span of ageing C57BL/6 mice, which show an induction of mitochondrial biogenesis, lowered blood glucose levels, enhanced expression of several murine amino-acid transporters, as well as increased amino-acid catabolism. Taken together, we provide evidence that GlcN extends life span in evolutionary distinct species by mimicking a low-carbohydrate diet.