Protection from radicals
Scientists seem to have discovered the secret of the record longevity of naked diggers
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
The long life of naked diggers haunts scientists, as it does not fit into the theory of aging, the basis of which is oxidative stress as the cause of the gradual destruction of body cells. According to the model proposed by a team of American and Chinese scientists, the oxidative stress that diggers actively accumulate at the growth stage is then compensated by low metabolism at maturity. This idea has quite a practical application for humans.
Naked diggers have many unusual traits, from insensitivity to pain to a social system unique to mammals. However, experts on aging are most intrigued by the record longevity of these creatures, which live ten times longer than other rodents of similar size.
As the Missouri S&T Scientists explain why naked mole rats’ longevity contradictions accepted aging theory notes, the example of naked diggers casts doubt on the popular hypothesis of the oxidative nature of aging. According to this idea, the main driver of aging is damage to cells and genetic material as a result of the accumulation of oxygen metabolism products.
If the hypothesis is correct, then the higher the oxidative stress, the lower the life expectancy of the animal. For many species, this pattern is confirmed, but it fails on naked diggers. Although their body has a higher level of oxidative stress than that of house mice, they still live much longer.
To solve this paradox and "save" the oxidative theory of aging, researchers from the USA and China. They built a theoretical model according to which the accumulation of oxidative stress during life goes unevenly. The more energy is spent on growth, the less it is available to repair cellular damage. In addition, the higher the metabolism, the higher the stress level.
Scientists have suggested that at the stage of growth, diggers expend a lot of energy, but upon reaching maturity, the accumulated stress is compensated by low metabolism. As a result, further damage accumulates slowly. But in mice, despite a lower level of stress during life, the metabolism is high. As a result, stress reaches a critical threshold much faster.
One of the main conclusions of the study is that the bulk of oxidative damage accumulates at the growth stage.
This is especially important for large species with a long childhood, including humans. If the model is confirmed, scientists will be able to understand which characteristics in childhood affect a person's health and life expectancy.
Article Zao et al. Why Naked Mole-Rats Have High Oxidative Damage but Live a Long Life: a Simple Explanation Based on the Oxidative Stress Theory of Aging is published in the journal Advances in Geriatric Medicine and Research – VM.
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