Analysis for old age
It's no secret that the biological age does not always coincide with the passport age. People born in the same year age at different rates. And this means that the risks of developing age-related diseases in them differ.
A group of researchers from China described a substance that is detected in urine during aging. Its level is directly proportional to the biological age of a person. The new aging marker can be used to assess the likelihood of developing age-related diseases and even the risk of death.
Aging is a natural process of accumulation of mutations and damage in cells over time. The speed of this process can vary in different people and depends on genetic factors, lifestyle, environment.
According to one theory, aging is based on the accumulation of free radicals.
Reactive oxygen species formed during normal metabolism oxidize DNA and RNA molecules in cells and damage them. With age, the level of oxidation markers increases. One of these markers is the molecule 8–oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGsn), which is the result of RNA oxidation. According to the results of animal studies, its level in urine increases with age.
To test whether this hypothesis is applicable to humans, the researchers measured the level of 8-oxoGsn in urine samples of 1228 healthy people aged 2 to 90 years using liquid chromatography.
The researchers determined the levels of 8-oxodGsn in urine: 0.23-1.56 ng/ml – as low, 3.94-7.20 ng/ml – average, 12.91-26.52 ng/ml – high.
An increase in the level of 8-oxoGsn was observed starting from the age of 21, regardless of gender. The exception was women in the postmenopausal period – the amount of the marker in their urine was higher than that of their peers. This may be caused by a decrease in the level of estrogens, which are known to have antioxidant properties.
The accelerated method of urine analysis for 8-oxoGsn can be used in fairly large studies, as it allows processing up to ten samples per hour.
Article W. Gan et al. Urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine as a Potential Biomarker of Aging is published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru according to EurekAkert: Simple urine test could measure how much our body has aged.