Obese Mice Live Longer And Are Healthier When Given Synthetic Compound SRT1720

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Academic Journal
Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Diabetes; Endocrinology; Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 19 Aug 2011 - 16:00 PDT window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId: 'aa16a4bf93f23f07eb33109d5f1134d3', status: true, cookie: true, xfbml: true, channelUrl: 'http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/scripts/facebooklike.html'}); }; (function() { var e = document.createElement('script'); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e); }()); email to a friend printer friendly opinions
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Obese male mice who were given SRT1720, a synthetic compound, not only lived considerably longer, but also enjoyed healthier lives compared to other obese mice, researchers reported in the journal Scientific Reports. The obese mice that received the compound had improved function of the heart, pancreas and liver.

National Institute of Aging (NIA) Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D., said:

"This study has interesting implications for research on the biology of aging. It demonstrates that years of healthy life can be extended in an animal model of diet-induced obesity by a synthetic compound that modulates a gene pathway associated with aging."

The researchers commented that further studies are required to find out how pertinent these findings might be for human beings.

SRT1720 activates the SIRT1 enzyme, a type of sirtuin. Sirtuins are thought to be involved in the aging process and are believed to contribute to calorie restriction in higher organisms, including primates (non-human).

In this study, the researchers divided 1-year old (middle-aged) male mice into four groups: High dose of SRT1720, fed on a high-fat dietLow dose of dose of SRT1720, fed on a high-fat dietNo SRT1720, fed on a high-fat dietNo SRT1720, fed on a standard dietSenior author Rafael de Cabo, Ph.D., said:

"As we hypothesized, SRT1720 mimics dietary restriction, moderating many of the harmful effects of the high-fat diet and obesity. Furthermore, we found that the higher dose of the compound had a stronger effect and there were no signs of toxicity from SRT1720 even after 80 weeks of treatment."

The researchers' highlighted findings are listed below: The mice on high-dose SRT1720 lived 18% longer and those on a low-dose 4% longer than the obese mice on no SRT1720. From the age of 56 weeks onwards, the high-dose mice's mean lifespan was 44% longer and low-dose 11% longer than the no SRT1720 dose fat mice.The obese mice on SRT1720 had less fat build-up in their livers and superior liver function compared to the other obese mice. The SRT1720-treated mice had smaller livers than the obese mice not on SRT1720, but larger than the mice fed on a standard diet. SRT1720 was found to suppress liver inflammation, and prevent cell death in the liver.SRT1720 protected the obese mice from insulin resistance. Blood sugar measurements were about the same for all groups of mice, including the ones on a standard diet. The obese mice not on SRT1720 had insulin levels twice as high as the obese ones on SRT1720 and the other mice on a standard diet.HDL (High-density lipoprotein) levels were higher in the SRT1720 mice compared to those on the standard diet. HDL is known as good cholesterol. SRT1720 prevented cell death in the heart and suppressed inflammation.Oxygen consumption during periods of less activity was lower among the obese mice on SRT1720 compared to the other obese mice. The obese SRT1720 mice were more physically active than the obese mice not on SRT1720.Genes linked with aging in the liver were found to be suppressed by SRT172.Further tests demonstrated that SRT1720 had no effect on mice or cultures lacking the Sirt1 gene, it did, however, have an effect on mice and cultures with Sirt1. The authors wrote:

"In mice, SRT1720 reversed many of the health problems associated with a high-fat diet and did not have toxic side effects, but it is too early to know whether these findings could be replicated in other animal models, much less humans," said de Cabo. "The bottom line is that we need much more research before considering SRT1720 or related compounds as a possible treatment for diseases of aging."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Article Reference:
"SRT1720 improves survival and healthspan of obese mice"
Robin K. Minor, Joseph A. Baur, Ana P. Gomes, Theresa M. Ward, Anna Csiszar, Evi M. Mercken, Kotb Abdelmohsen, Yu-Kyong Shin, Carles Canto, Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, Melissa Krawczyk, Pablo M. Irusta, Alejandro Martín-Montalvo, Basil P. Hubbard, Yongqing Zhang, Elin Lehrmann, Alexa A. White, Nathan L. Price, William R. Swindell, Kevin J. Pearson et al.
Scientific Reports 1, Article number: 70 doi:10.1038/srep00070

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