Chronic inflammation accelerates aging
It has long been suggested that chronic inflammation is not a harmless companion of aging, but the cause of the development of many seemingly unrelated age-related diseases that contribute to a decrease in life expectancy. However, until now, no one has been able to distinguish the causes from the consequences, and the alleged role of inflammation in aging remained unclear.
Researchers at Newcastle University, working under the guidance of Professor Thomas von Zglinicki, decided to try to figure out this intricacy with the help of mice with an inactivated version of the gene encoding the transcription factor (NF-kB, nuclear factor "kappa-bi"). One of the functions of the protein product of this gene is the suppression of inflammatory reactions.
The chronic systemic inflammation developing in such animals, not accompanied by pronounced symptoms, led to their premature aging and reduced their life expectancy by half compared to ordinary mice. At the same time, they had a reduced ability of the liver and intestines to regenerate. In addition, the fibroblasts of the skin of such animals entered the phase of physiological aging early due to the accumulation of DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species, in particular telomere dysfunction.
At the same time, therapy with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen restored the regenerative ability of cells and normalized the functioning of their telomeres.
The authors note that people age at different rates. It is well known that rapid aging is often associated with elevated levels of markers of chronic inflammation. The findings suggest that inflammation should be considered as a potential cause of accelerated aging. Moreover, it turned out that the drug ibuprofen, widely used in medical practice, has the ability to restore the regenerative abilities of tissues and prevent the physiological aging of cells.
Article by Diana Jurk et al. Chronic inflammation induces telomere dysfunction and accelerates aging in mice is published in the journal Nature Communications.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Newcastle University:
Chronic inflammation accelerates ageing.
25.06.2014