Prolonging life without a low-calorie diet
Limiting the caloric content of a diet can significantly increase life expectancy – this has been repeatedly shown in experiments on different types of living creatures, from yeast to monkeys. However, explaining the mechanisms mediating the beneficial effects of a low-calorie diet turned out to be quite a difficult task.
In experiments on yeast, scientists at the University of Gothenburg, working under the leadership of Thomas Nyström, found that one of the key links of the mechanism triggered by calorie intake restriction is the enzyme thiol-dependent peroxyredoxin 1 (Tsa 1), which performs the function of splitting hydrogen peroxide in cells.
The results obtained by them indicate that as the body ages, the susceptibility of Tsa 1 to oxidation increases, which is accompanied by a decrease in its activity. A low-calorie diet prevents this by stimulating the synthesis of another enzyme, sulfiredoxin 1 (Srx1), whose function is to chemically restore Tsa 1 molecules and restore its activity. Experiments have also shown that aging can be slowed down without limiting calorie intake. To do this, it is enough only to increase the concentration of the Srx1 enzyme in the cell. Based on these data, the researchers concluded that maintaining the activity of the Tsa 1 enzyme is the key to slowing down the aging process.
Disruption of the functioning of Tsa 1 leads to the appearance of various types of genetic defects and cancer. Moreover, it is known that enzymes of the peroxyredoxin family prevent damage and aggregation of proteins associated with the development of a number of age-related diseases affecting the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Based on this, the authors suggest that stimulation of Tsa 1 activity may well underlie the ability of a low-calorie diet to delay the onset of these and other age-related diseases.
Articles by Mikael Molin et al. Life Span Extension and H 2 O 2 Resistance Elicited by Caloric Restriction Require the Peroxiredoxin Tsa1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Elizabeth A. Veal and Monika Olahova Translating a Low-Sugar Diet into a Longer Life by Maintaining Thioredoxin Peroxidase Activity of a Peroxiredoxin are published in the journal Molecular Cell.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Gothenburg: Live longer with fewer calories.
01.11.2011