1
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Ruby JG, Smith M, Buffenstein R. Five years later, with double the demographic data, naked mole-rat mortality rates continue to defy Gompertzian laws by not increasing with age. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01201-4. [PMID: 38773057 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01201-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a mouse-sized rodent species, notable for its eusociality and long lifespan. Previously, we reported that demographic aging, i.e., the exponential increase of mortality hazard that accompanies advancing age in mammals and other organisms, does not occur in naked mole-rats (Ruby et al., 2018), a finding that has potential implications for human healthy aging. The demographic data supporting that conclusion had taken over three decades to accumulate, starting with the original rearing of H. glaber in captivity. This finding was controversial since many of the animals in that study were relatively young. In the 5 years following that study, we have doubled our quantity of demographic data. Here, we re-evaluated our prior conclusions in light of these new data and found them to be not only supported but indeed strengthened. We additionally provided insight into the social dynamics of captive H. glaber with data and analyses of body weight and colony size versus mortality. Finally, we provide a phylogenetically proximal comparator in the form of lifespan data from our Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) colony and demographic meta-analysis of those data along with published data from Ansell's mole-rat (Fukomys anselli). We found Fukomys mortality hazard to increase gradually with age, an observation with inferences on the evolution of exceptional lifespan among mole-rats and the ecological factors that may have accompanied that evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Graham Ruby
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago 845 W Taylor, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
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2
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Rimbach R, Pontzer H. Increased physical activity is not related to markers of cardiometabolic health in two lemur species. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23564. [PMID: 37839049 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Insufficient physical activity is a major risk factor for cardiometabolic disease (i.e., unhealthy weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes) in humans and may also negatively affect health of primates in human care. Effects of physical activity on energy expenditure and cardiometabolic health are virtually unstudied in nonhuman primates. We investigated physical activity and metabolic markers in 15 adult ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) and 11 Coquerel's sifakas (Propithecus coquereli) at the Duke Lemur Center during a period of low activity in winter when the animals were housed in buildings (with outdoor access) and a period of high activity when individuals were free-ranging in large, outdoor, forested enclosures. We compared body mass, blood glucose, triglycerides, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, physical activity via accelerometry, and total energy expenditure (TEE) via the doubly labeled water method (in ring-tailed lemurs only) between both conditions. Both species were more active and had a lower body mass in summer. Ring-tailed lemurs had a higher TEE and lower triglyceride levels in summer, whereas sifaka had higher triglyceride levels in summer. Individuals that increased their activity more, also lost more body mass. Individuals that lost more body mass, also had a positive change in HDL-cholesterol (i.e., higher values in summer). Changes in activity were not associated with changes in markers of metabolic health, body fat percentage and TEE (both unadjusted and adjusted for body composition). Older age was associated with lower activity in both species, and decreased glucose in ring-tailed lemurs, but was otherwise unrelated to metabolic markers and, for ring-tailed lemurs, adjusted TEE. Overall, body mass was lower during summer but the increase in physical activity did not strongly influence metabolic health or TEE in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Rimbach
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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3
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Takasugi M, Ohtani N, Takemura K, Emmrich S, Zakusilo FT, Yoshida Y, Kutsukake N, Mariani JN, Windrem MS, Chandler-Militello D, Goldman SA, Satoh J, Ito S, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V. CD44 correlates with longevity and enhances basal ATF6 activity and ER stress resistance. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113130. [PMID: 37708026 PMCID: PMC10591879 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The naked mole rat (NMR) is the longest-lived rodent, resistant to multiple age-related diseases including neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms underlying the NMR's resistance to neurodegenerative diseases remain elusive. Here, we isolated oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) from NMRs and compared their transcriptome with that of other mammals. Extracellular matrix (ECM) genes best distinguish OPCs of long- and short-lived species. Notably, expression levels of CD44, an ECM-binding protein that has been suggested to contribute to NMR longevity by mediating the effect of hyaluronan (HA), are not only high in OPCs of long-lived species but also positively correlate with longevity in multiple cell types/tissues. We found that CD44 localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and enhances basal ATF6 activity. CD44 modifies proteome and membrane properties of the ER and enhances ER stress resistance in a manner dependent on unfolded protein response regulators without the requirement of HA. HA-independent role of CD44 in proteostasis regulation may contribute to mammalian longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Takasugi
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA; Department of Pathophysiology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Naoko Ohtani
- Department of Pathophysiology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Kazuaki Takemura
- Department of Pathophysiology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Stephan Emmrich
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Frances T Zakusilo
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Yuya Yoshida
- Department of Pathophysiology, Osaka Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, SOKENDAI, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - John N Mariani
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and the Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Martha S Windrem
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and the Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Devin Chandler-Militello
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and the Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Steven A Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and the Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Junko Satoh
- Medical Research Support Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinji Ito
- Medical Research Support Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA.
| | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA.
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4
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Zhang Z, Tian X, Lu JY, Boit K, Ablaeva J, Zakusilo FT, Emmrich S, Firsanov D, Rydkina E, Biashad SA, Lu Q, Tyshkovskiy A, Gladyshev VN, Horvath S, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V. Increased hyaluronan by naked mole-rat Has2 improves healthspan in mice. Nature 2023; 621:196-205. [PMID: 37612507 PMCID: PMC10666664 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06463-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Abundant high-molecular-mass hyaluronic acid (HMM-HA) contributes to cancer resistance and possibly to the longevity of the longest-lived rodent-the naked mole-rat1,2. To study whether the benefits of HMM-HA could be transferred to other animal species, we generated a transgenic mouse overexpressing naked mole-rat hyaluronic acid synthase 2 gene (nmrHas2). nmrHas2 mice showed an increase in hyaluronan levels in several tissues, and a lower incidence of spontaneous and induced cancer, extended lifespan and improved healthspan. The transcriptome signature of nmrHas2 mice shifted towards that of longer-lived species. The most notable change observed in nmrHas2 mice was attenuated inflammation across multiple tissues. HMM-HA reduced inflammation through several pathways, including a direct immunoregulatory effect on immune cells, protection from oxidative stress and improved gut barrier function during ageing. These beneficial effects were conferred by HMM-HA and were not specific to the nmrHas2 gene. These findings demonstrate that the longevity mechanism that evolved in the naked mole-rat can be exported to other species, and open new paths for using HMM-HA to improve lifespan and healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Xiao Tian
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - J Yuyang Lu
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn Boit
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Julia Ablaeva
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Stephan Emmrich
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Denis Firsanov
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Elena Rydkina
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Quan Lu
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Tyshkovskiy
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vadim N Gladyshev
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
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5
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Comparative analysis of thyroid hormone systems in rodents with subterranean lifestyle. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3122. [PMID: 36813840 PMCID: PMC9946999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30179-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
African mole-rats are subterranean rodents inhabiting underground burrows. This habitat entails risks of overheating, hypoxia, and scarce food availability. Consequently, many subterranean species have evolved low basal metabolism and low body temperature, but the regulation of these traits at the molecular level were unknown. Measurements of serum thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations in African mole-rats have revealed a unique TH phenotype, which deviates from the typical mammalian pattern. Since THs are major regulators of metabolic rate and body temperature, we further characterised the TH system of two African mole-rat species, the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) and the Ansell's mole-rat (Fukomys anselli) at the molecular level in a comparative approach involving the house mouse (Mus musculus) as a well-studied laboratory model in TH research. Most intriguingly, both mole-rat species had low iodide levels in the thyroid and naked mole-rats showed signs of thyroid gland hyperplasia. However, contrary to expectations, we found several species-specific differences in the TH systems of both mole-rat species, although ultimately resulting in similar serum TH concentrations. These findings indicate a possible convergent adaptation. Thus, our study adds to our knowledge for understanding adaptations to the subterranean habitat.
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6
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Yap KN, Wong HS, Ramanathan C, Rodriguez-Wagner CA, Roberts MD, Freeman DA, Buffenstein R, Zhang Y. Naked mole-rat and Damaraland mole-rat exhibit lower respiration in mitochondria, cellular and organismal levels. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2022; 1863:148582. [PMID: 35667393 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2022.148582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMR) and Damaraland mole-rats (DMR) exhibit extraordinary longevity for their body size, high tolerance to hypoxia and oxidative stress and high reproductive output; these collectively defy the concept that life-history traits should be negatively correlated. However, when life-history traits share similar underlying physiological mechanisms, these may be positively associated with each other. We propose that one such potential common mechanism might be the bioenergetic properties of mole-rats. Here, we aim to characterize the bioenergetic properties of two African mole-rats. We adopted a top-down perspective measuring the bioenergetic properties at the organismal, cellular, and molecular level in both species and the biological significance of these properties were compared with the same measures in Siberian hamsters and C57BL/6 mice, chosen for their similar body size to the mole-rat species. We found mole-rats shared several bioenergetic properties that differed from their comparison species, including low basal metabolic rates, a high dependence on glycolysis rather than on oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production, and low proton conductance across the mitochondrial inner membrane. These shared mole-rat features could be a result of evolutionary adaptation to tolerating variable oxygen atmospheres, in particular hypoxia, and may in turn be one of the molecular mechanisms underlying their extremely long lifespans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Nian Yap
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, United States of America; Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Hoi Shan Wong
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America
| | - Chidambaram Ramanathan
- College of Health Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America
| | | | - Michael D Roberts
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, United States of America
| | - David A Freeman
- Department of Biological Science, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America.
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- College of Health Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America.
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7
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Wong HS, Freeman DA, Zhang Y. Not just a cousin of the naked mole-rat: Damaraland mole-rats offer unique insights into biomedicine. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 262:110772. [PMID: 35710053 PMCID: PMC10155858 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2022.110772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary medicine has been a fast-growing field of biological research in the past decade. One of the strengths of evolutionary medicine is to use non-traditional model organisms which often exhibit unusual characteristics shaped by natural selection. Studying these unusual traits could provide valuable insight to understand biomedical questions, since natural selection likely discovers solutions to those complex biological problems. Because of many unusual traits, the naked mole-rat (NMR) has attracted attention from different research areas such as aging, cancer, and hypoxia- and hypercapnia-related disorders. However, such uniqueness of NMR physiology may sometimes make the translational study to human research difficult. Damaraland mole-rat (DMR) shares multiple characteristics in common with NMR, but shows higher degree of similarity with human in some aspects of their physiology. Research on DMR could therefore offer alternative insights and might bridge the gap between experimental findings from NMR to human biomedical research. In this review, we discuss studies of DMR as an extension of the current set of model organisms to help better understand different aspects of human biology and disease. We hope to encourage researchers to consider studying DMR together with NMR. By studying these two similar but evolutionarily distinct species, we can harvest the power of convergent evolution and avoid the potential biased conclusions based on life-history of a single species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Shan Wong
- Nine Square Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America.
| | - David A Freeman
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- College of Health Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, United States of America.
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8
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Bégay V, Cirovic B, Barker AJ, Klopfleisch R, Hart DW, Bennett NC, Lewin GR. Immune competence and spleen size scale with colony status in the naked mole-rat. Open Biol 2022; 12:210292. [PMID: 35382566 PMCID: PMC8984379 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NM-R; Heterocephalus glaber) live in multi-generational colonies with a social hierarchy, and show low cancer incidence and long life-spans. Here we asked if an immune component might underlie such extreme physiology. The largest lymphoid organ is the spleen, which plays an essential role in responding to immunological insults and may participate in combating cancer and slowing ageing. We investigated the anatomy, molecular composition and function of the NM-R spleen using RNA-sequencing and histological analysis in healthy NM-Rs. Spleen size in healthy NM-Rs showed considerable inter-individual variability, with some animals displaying enlarged spleens. In all healthy NM-Rs, the spleen is a major site of adult haematopoiesis under normal physiological conditions. However, myeloid-to-lymphoid cell ratio is increased and splenic marginal zone showed markedly altered morphology when compared to other rodents. Healthy NM-Rs with enlarged spleens showed potentially better anti-microbial profiles and were much more likely to have a high rank within the colony. We propose that the anatomical plasticity of the spleen might be regulated by social interaction and gives immunological advantage to increase the lifespan of higher-ranked animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Bégay
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Laboratory for Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Branko Cirovic
- Division of Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alison J. Barker
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Laboratory for Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Klopfleisch
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Free University Berlin, Robert von Ostertag Strasse 15, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel W. Hart
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
| | - Gary R. Lewin
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Laboratory for Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Robert-Rössle Straße 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany
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9
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Developmental Plasticity in the Ossification of the Proximal Femur of Heterocephalus glaber (Bathyergidae, Rodentia). J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09602-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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10
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Buffenstein R, Amoroso V, Andziak B, Avdieiev S, Azpurua J, Barker AJ, Bennett NC, Brieño‐Enríquez MA, Bronner GN, Coen C, Delaney MA, Dengler‐Crish CM, Edrey YH, Faulkes CG, Frankel D, Friedlander G, Gibney PA, Gorbunova V, Hine C, Holmes MM, Jarvis JUM, Kawamura Y, Kutsukake N, Kenyon C, Khaled WT, Kikusui T, Kissil J, Lagestee S, Larson J, Lauer A, Lavrenchenko LA, Lee A, Levitt JB, Lewin GR, Lewis Hardell KN, Lin TD, Mason MJ, McCloskey D, McMahon M, Miura K, Mogi K, Narayan V, O'Connor TP, Okanoya K, O'Riain MJ, Park TJ, Place NJ, Podshivalova K, Pamenter ME, Pyott SJ, Reznick J, Ruby JG, Salmon AB, Santos‐Sacchi J, Sarko DK, Seluanov A, Shepard A, Smith M, Storey KB, Tian X, Vice EN, Viltard M, Watarai A, Wywial E, Yamakawa M, Zemlemerova ED, Zions M, Smith ESJ. The naked truth: a comprehensive clarification and classification of current 'myths' in naked mole-rat biology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:115-140. [PMID: 34476892 PMCID: PMC9277573 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) has fascinated zoologists for at least half a century. It has also generated considerable biomedical interest not only because of its extraordinary longevity, but also because of unusual protective features (e.g. its tolerance of variable oxygen availability), which may be pertinent to several human disease states, including ischemia/reperfusion injury and neurodegeneration. A recent article entitled 'Surprisingly long survival of premature conclusions about naked mole-rat biology' described 28 'myths' which, those authors claimed, are a 'perpetuation of beautiful, but falsified, hypotheses' and impede our understanding of this enigmatic mammal. Here, we re-examine each of these 'myths' based on evidence published in the scientific literature. Following Braude et al., we argue that these 'myths' fall into four main categories: (i) 'myths' that would be better described as oversimplifications, some of which persist solely in the popular press; (ii) 'myths' that are based on incomplete understanding, where more evidence is clearly needed; (iii) 'myths' where the accumulation of evidence over the years has led to a revision in interpretation, but where there is no significant disagreement among scientists currently working in the field; (iv) 'myths' where there is a genuine difference in opinion among active researchers, based on alternative interpretations of the available evidence. The term 'myth' is particularly inappropriate when applied to competing, evidence-based hypotheses, which form part of the normal evolution of scientific knowledge. Here, we provide a comprehensive critical review of naked mole-rat biology and attempt to clarify some of these misconceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincent Amoroso
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Blazej Andziak
- Graduate Center City University of New York365 Fifth AvenueNew YorkNY10016U.S.A.
| | | | - Jorge Azpurua
- Department of AnesthesiologyStony Brook University101 Nicolls RoadStony BrookNY11794U.S.A.
| | - Alison J. Barker
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular MedicineRobert‐Rössle‐Str 10Berlin‐Buch13092Germany
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoria0002South Africa
| | - Miguel A. Brieño‐Enríquez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive MedicineMagee‐Womens Research Institute204 Craft AvenuePittsburghPA15213U.S.A.
| | - Gary N. Bronner
- Department Biological SciencesRondeboschCape Town7701South Africa
| | - Clive Coen
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's HealthSchool of Medicine, King's College LondonWestminster Bridge RoadLondonSE1 7EHU.K.
| | - Martha A. Delaney
- Zoological Pathology ProgramUniversity of Illinois3505 Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building, 2001 S Lincoln AvenueUrbanaIL6180U.S.A.
| | - Christine M. Dengler‐Crish
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesNortheast Ohio Medical University4209 State Route 44RootstownOH44272U.S.A.
| | - Yael H. Edrey
- Northwest Vista College3535 N. Ellison DriveSan AntonioTX78251U.S.A.
| | - Chris G. Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonMile End RoadLondonE1 4NSU.K.
| | - Daniel Frankel
- School of EngineeringNewcastle UniversityMerz CourtNewcastle Upon TyneNE1 7RUU.K.
| | - Gerard Friedlander
- Université Paris DescartesFaculté de Médecine12 Rue de l'École de MédecineParis5006France
| | - Patrick A. Gibney
- Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaNY14853U.S.A.
| | - Vera Gorbunova
- Departments of BiologyUniversity of Rochester402 Hutchison HallRochesterNY14627U.S.A.
| | - Christopher Hine
- Cleveland ClinicLerner Research Institute9500 Euclid AvenueClevelandOH44195U.S.A.
| | - Melissa M. Holmes
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Toronto Mississauga3359 Mississauga Road NorthMississaugaONL5L 1C6Canada
| | | | - Yoshimi Kawamura
- Department of Aging and Longevity ResearchKumamoto University1‐1‐1 HonjoKumamoto860‐0811Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsThe Graduate University for Advanced StudiesHayama240‐0193Japan
| | - Cynthia Kenyon
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Walid T. Khaled
- The School of the Biological SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1PDU.K.
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamihara252‐5201Japan
| | - Joseph Kissil
- Department of Cancer BiologyThe Scripps Research InstituteScripps FloridaJupiterFL33458U.S.A.
| | - Samantha Lagestee
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - John Larson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Amanda Lauer
- Department of OtolaryngologyJohns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21205U.S.A.
| | - Leonid A. Lavrenchenko
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionRussian Academy of SciencesLeninskii pr. 33Moscow119071Russia
| | - Angela Lee
- Graduate Center City University of New York365 Fifth AvenueNew YorkNY10016U.S.A.
| | - Jonathan B. Levitt
- Biology DepartmentThe City College of New York138th Street and Convent AvenueNew YorkNY10031U.S.A.
| | - Gary R. Lewin
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular MedicineRobert‐Rössle‐Str 10Berlin‐Buch13092Germany
| | | | - TzuHua D. Lin
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Matthew J. Mason
- The School of the Biological SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1PDU.K.
| | - Dan McCloskey
- College of Staten Island in the City University of New York2800 Victory BlvdStaten IslandNY10314U.S.A.
| | - Mary McMahon
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Kyoko Miura
- Department of Aging and Longevity ResearchKumamoto University1‐1‐1 HonjoKumamoto860‐0811Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamihara252‐5201Japan
| | - Vikram Narayan
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | | | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of Tokyo7‐3‐1 HongoTokyo153‐8902Japan
| | | | - Thomas J. Park
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Ned J. Place
- Cornell University College of Veterinary MedicineIthacaNY14853U.S.A.
| | - Katie Podshivalova
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | | | - Sonja J. Pyott
- Groningen Department of OtorhinolaryngologyUniversity Medical CenterPostbus 30.001GroningenRB9700The Netherlands
| | - Jane Reznick
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging‐Associated Diseases (CECAD)University Hospital CologneJoseph‐Stelzmann‐Street 26Cologne50931Germany
| | - J. Graham Ruby
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Adam B. Salmon
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging StudiesUniversity of Texas Health Science Center4939 Charles Katz Dr.San AntonioTX78229U.S.A.
| | - Joseph Santos‐Sacchi
- Department of NeuroscienceYale University School of Medicine200 South Frontage Road, SHM C‐303New HavenCT06510U.S.A.
| | - Diana K. Sarko
- Department of AnatomySchool of Medicine, Southern Illinois University975 S. NormalCarbondaleIL62901U.S.A.
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Departments of BiologyUniversity of Rochester402 Hutchison HallRochesterNY14627U.S.A.
| | - Alyssa Shepard
- Department of Cancer BiologyThe Scripps Research InstituteScripps FloridaJupiterFL33458U.S.A.
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC1170 Veterans BlvdSouth San FranciscoCA94080U.S.A.
| | - Kenneth B. Storey
- Department of BiologyCarleton University1125 Colonel By DriveOttawaONK1S 5B6Canada
| | - Xiao Tian
- Department of Genetics – Blavatnik InstituteHarvard Medical School77 Avenue Louis PasteurBostonMA02115U.S.A.
| | - Emily N. Vice
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoChicagoIL60607U.S.A.
| | - Mélanie Viltard
- Fondation pour la recherche en PhysiologieUniversité Catholique de LouvainClos Chapelle‐aux‐Champs 30Woluwe‐saint Lambert1200Belgium
| | - Akiyuki Watarai
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary MedicineAzabu UniversitySagamihara252‐5201Japan
| | - Ewa Wywial
- Biology DepartmentThe City College of New York138th Street and Convent AvenueNew YorkNY10031U.S.A.
| | - Masanori Yamakawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsThe Graduate University for Advanced StudiesHayama240‐0193Japan
| | - Elena D. Zemlemerova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionRussian Academy of SciencesLeninskii pr. 33Moscow119071Russia
| | - Michael Zions
- Graduate Center City University of New York365 Fifth AvenueNew YorkNY10016U.S.A.
| | - Ewan St. John Smith
- The School of the Biological SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1PDU.K.
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11
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Epigenetic aging of the demographically non-aging naked mole-rat. Nat Commun 2022; 13:355. [PMID: 35039495 PMCID: PMC8763950 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27959-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (NMR) is an exceptionally long-lived rodent that shows no increase of mortality with age, defining it as a demographically non-aging mammal. Here, we perform bisulfite sequencing of the blood of > 100 NMRs, assessing > 3 million common CpG sites. Unsupervised clustering based on sites whose methylation correlates with age reveals an age-related methylome remodeling, and we also observe a methylome information loss, suggesting that NMRs age. We develop an epigenetic aging clock that accurately predicts the NMR age. We show that these animals age much slower than mice and much faster than humans, consistent with their known maximum lifespans. Interestingly, patterns of age-related changes of clock sites in Tert and Prpf19 differ between NMRs and mice, but there are also sites conserved between the two species. Together, the data indicate that NMRs, like other mammals, epigenetically age even in the absence of demographic aging of this species. The exceptionally long-lived naked mole-rat is characterized by the lack of increased mortality with aging. Here the authors perform epigenetic studies to show that naked mole-rats epigenetically age despite their non-increasing mortality rate.
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12
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Pamenter ME, Cheng H. Supermole-rat to the rescue: Does the naked mole-rat offer a panacea for all that ails us? Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 266:111139. [PMID: 34990825 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.111139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the previous several decades, many non-traditional research models have offered new avenues of exploration for biomedical research. The promise of these animals is primarily derived from adaptations to unique or challenging environments that share key factors with a disease or pathology of interest (e.g., hypoxemia or hypercarbia are clinically relevant and are also in vivo consequences of environmental hypoxia and hypercapnia, respectively). Animals adapted to such environments allow us to ask the question: how has nature solved a particular problem and what can we learn to inform novel translational research into the treatment of related diseases and pathologies? One of the most promising mammalian models that have garnered increasing attention from researchers and the public are naked mole-rats (NMRs). The NMR is a small and eusocial subterranean rodent species that live in a putatively hypoxic and hypercapnic burrow environment. Intriguingly, whereas most non-traditional biomedical models offer insight into one or only a few diseases related to a common physiological stress, NMRs in contrast have proven to be resistant to a very wide range of ailments, including aging, cancer, and hypoxia- and hypercapnia-related disorders, among many others. In the present commentary, we discuss progress made in understanding how NMRs overcome these challenges and speculate on the origins of their remarkable abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Pamenter
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Hang Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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13
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Pan F, Cui W, Gao L, Shi X, Zhang M, Li M, Yang H, Hu Y. A Risk Assessment Tool for Identifying Osteoporosis in Older Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2021; 130:426-433. [PMID: 34911084 DOI: 10.1055/a-1702-5168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a simple and clinically useful assessment tool for osteoporosis in older women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS A total of 601 women over 60 years of age with T2DM were enrolled in this study. The levels of serum sex hormones and bone metabolism markers were compared between the osteoporosis and non-osteoporosis groups. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regularization (LASSO) model was applied to generate a risk assessment tool. The risk score formula was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis and the relationship between the risk score and the bone mineral density (BMD) and T-value were investigated. RESULTS Serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), cross-linked C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX), and osteocalcin (OC) were significantly higher in the osteoporosis group. After adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI), SHBG was found to be correlated with the T-value or BMD. Then, a risk score was specifically generated with age, BMI, SHBG, and CTX using the LASSO model. The risk score was significantly negatively correlated with the T-value and BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION A risk score using age, BMI, SHBG, and CTX performs well for identifying osteoporosis in older women with T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghui Pan
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Wenxia Cui
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Xiaoting Shi
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Mingrui Zhang
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Man Li
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Haiyan Yang
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Yun Hu
- Division of Geriatrics, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
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14
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Li M, Pan D, Sun H, Zhang L, Cheng H, Shao T, Wang Z. The hypoxia adaptation of small mammals to plateau and underground burrow conditions. Animal Model Exp Med 2021; 4:319-328. [PMID: 34977483 PMCID: PMC8690988 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxygen is one of the important substances for the survival of most life systems on the earth, and plateau and underground burrow systems are two typical hypoxic environments. Small mammals living in hypoxic environments have evolved different adaptation strategies, which include increased oxygen delivery, metabolic regulation of physiological responses and other physiological responses that change tissue oxygen utilization. Multi-omics predictions have also shown that these animals have evolved different adaptations to extreme environments. In particular, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and erythropoietin (EPO), which have specific functions in the control of O2 delivery, have evolved adaptively in small mammals in hypoxic environments. Naked mole-rats and blind mole-rats are typical hypoxic model animals as they have some resistance to cancer. This review primarily summarizes the main living environment of hypoxia tolerant small mammals, as well as the changes of phenotype, physiochemical characteristics and gene expression mode of their long-term living in hypoxia environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Li
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Dan Pan
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Hong Sun
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
- Centre for Nutritional EcologyZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Han Cheng
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Tian Shao
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouP.R. China
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15
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Emmrich S, Tolibzoda Zakusilo F, Trapp A, Zhou X, Zhang Q, Irving EM, Drage MG, Zhang Z, Gladyshev VN, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V. Ectopic cervical thymi and no thymic involution until midlife in naked mole rats. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13477. [PMID: 34596321 PMCID: PMC8520710 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosenescence is a hallmark of aging and manifests as increased susceptibility to infection, autoimmunity, and cancer in the elderly. One component of immunosenescence is thymic involution, age-associated shrinkage of the thymus, observed in all vertebrates studied to date. The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) has become an attractive animal model in aging research due to its extreme longevity and resistance to disease. Here, we show that naked mole rats display no thymic involution up to 11 years of age. Furthermore, we found large ectopic cervical thymi in addition to the canonical thoracic thymus, both being identical in their cell composition. The developmental landscape in naked mole rat thymi revealed overt differences from the murine T-cell compartment, most notably a decrease of CD4+ /CD8+ double-positive cells and lower abundance of cytotoxic effector T cells. Our observations suggest that naked mole rats display a delayed immunosenescence. Therapeutic interventions aimed at reversing thymic aging remain limited, underscoring the importance of understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind a sustained immune function in the naked mole rat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xuming Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Quanwei Zhang
- Department of GeneticsAlbert Einstein College of MedicineNew York CityNYUSA
| | | | - Michael G. Drage
- Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNYUSA
| | - Zhengdong Zhang
- Department of GeneticsAlbert Einstein College of MedicineNew York CityNYUSA
| | - Vadim N. Gladyshev
- Division of GeneticsDepartment of MedicineBrigham and Women’s HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | | | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of BiologyUniversity of RochesterRochesterNYUSA
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16
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The Idiosyncratic Physiological Traits of the Naked Mole-Rat; a Resilient Animal Model of Aging, Longevity, and Healthspan. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:221-254. [PMID: 34424518 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The subterranean-dwelling naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is an extremophilic rodent, able to thrive in the harsh underground conditions of sub-Saharan Northeast Africa. This pelage-free mammal exhibits numerous unusual ecophysiological features including pronounced tolerance of thermolability, hypoxia, hypercapnia and noxious substances. As a mammal, the naked mole-rat provides a proof-of-concept that age-related changes in physiology are avoidable. At ages far beyond their expected lifespans given both their body size and/or the timing of early developmental milestones, naked mole-rats fail to exhibit meaningful changes in physiological health or demographic mortality. Lack of physiological deterioration with age is also evident in lean and fat mass, bone quality, and reproductive capacity. Rather, regardless of age, under basal conditions naked mole-rats appear to "idle on low" with their "shields up" as is manifested by low body temperature, metabolic rate, cardiac output and kidney concentrating ability, enabling better protection of organs and cellular function. When needed, they can nevertheless ramp up these functions, increasing cardiac output and metabolism 2-5 fold. Here we review many unusual aspects of their physiology and examine how these attributes facilitate both tolerance of the diverse suite of hostile conditions encountered in their natural milieu as well as contribute to their extraordinary longevity and resistance to common, age-related chronic diseases.
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17
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Rimbach R, Amireh A, Allen A, Hare B, Guarino E, Kaufman C, Salomons H, Pontzer H. Total energy expenditure of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of different ages. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271194. [PMID: 34350948 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Marine mammals are thought to have an energetically expensive lifestyle because endothermy is costly in marine environments. However, measurements of total energy expenditure (TEE; kcal day-1) are available only for a limited number of marine mammals, because large body size and inaccessible habitats make TEE measurements expensive and difficult to obtain for many taxa. We measured TEE in 10 adult common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) living in natural seawater lagoons at two facilities (Dolphin Research Center and Dolphin Quest) using the doubly labeled water method. We assessed the relative effects of body mass, age and physical activity on TEE. We also examined whether TEE of bottlenose dolphins, and more generally of marine mammals, differs from that expected for their body mass compared with other eutherian mammals, using phylogenetic least squares (PGLS) regressions. There were no differences in body mass or TEE (unadjusted TEE and TEE adjusted for fat-free mass) between dolphins from the two facilities. Our results show that adjusted TEE decreased and fat mass increased with age. Different measures of activity were not related to age, body fat or adjusted TEE. Both PGLS and the non-phylogenetic linear regression indicate that marine mammals have an elevated TEE compared with that of terrestrial mammals. However, bottlenose dolphins expended 17.1% less energy than other marine mammals of similar body mass. The two oldest dolphins (>40 years) showed a lower TEE, similar to the decline in TEE seen in older humans. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an age-related metabolic decline in a large non-human mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Rimbach
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, WITS 2050, South Africa
| | - Ahmad Amireh
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Austin Allen
- Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Brian Hare
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Chana Kaufman
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Hannah Salomons
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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18
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Montoya‐Sanhueza G, Bennett NC, Oosthuizen MK, Dengler‐Crish CM, Chinsamy A. Bone remodeling in the longest living rodent, the naked mole-rat: Interelement variation and the effects of reproduction. J Anat 2021; 239:81-100. [PMID: 33554344 PMCID: PMC8197955 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The pattern of bone remodeling of one of the most peculiar mammals in the world, the naked mole-rat (NMR), was assessed. NMRs are known for their long lifespans among rodents and for having low metabolic rates. We assessed long-term in vivo bone labeling of subordinate individuals, as well as the patterns of bone resorption and bone remodeling in a large sample including reproductive and non-reproductive individuals (n = 70). Over 268 undecalcified thin cross-sections from the midshaft of humerus, ulna, femur and tibia were analyzed with confocal fluorescence and polarized light microscopy. Fluorochrome analysis revealed low osteogenesis, scarce bone resorption and infrequent formation of secondary osteons (Haversian systems) (i.e., slow bone turnover), thus most likely reflecting the low metabolic rates of this species. Secondary osteons occurred regardless of reproductive status. However, considerable differences in the degree of bone remodeling were found between breeders and non-breeders. Pre-reproductive stages (subordinates) exhibited quite stable skeletal homeostasis and bone structure, although the attainment of sexual maturity and beginning of reproductive cycles in female breeders triggered a series of anabolic and catabolic processes that up-regulate bone turnover, most likely associated with the increased metabolic rates of reproduction. Furthermore, bone remodeling was more frequently found in stylopodial elements compared to zeugopodial elements. Despite the limited bone remodeling observed in NMRs, the variation in the pattern of skeletal homeostasis (interelement variation) reported here represents an important aspect to understand the skeletal dynamics of a small mammal with low metabolic rates. Given the relevance of the remodeling process among mammals, this study also permitted the comparison of such process with the well-documented histomorphology of extinct therapsids (i.e., mammalian precursors), thus evidencing that bone remodeling and its endocortical compartmentalization represent ancestral features among the lineage that gave rise to mammals. It is concluded that other factors associated with development (and not uniquely related to biomechanical loading) can also have an important role in the development of bone remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Montoya‐Sanhueza
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceUniversity of South BohemiaČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyMammal Research InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Maria K. Oosthuizen
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyMammal Research InstituteUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | | | - Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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19
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Barker AJ, Koch U, Lewin GR, Pyott SJ. Hearing and Vocalizations in the Naked Mole-Rat. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:157-195. [PMID: 34424516 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Since their discovery, naked mole-rats have been speaking to us. Early field studies noted their extensive vocalizations, and scientists who are fortunate enough to spend time with these creatures in the laboratory setting cannot help but notice their constant peeping, chirruping and grunting (Hill et al., Proc Zool Soc Lond 128:455-514, 1957). Yet, few dwell on the function of these chirps and peeps, being instead drawn to the many other extraordinary aspects of naked mole-rat physiology detailed throughout this book. Still, no biology is complete without a description of how an organism communicates. While the field of naked mole-rat bioacoustics and acoustic communication has been largely silent for many years, we highlight recent progress in understanding how and what Heterocephalus glaber hears and which vocalizations it uses. These efforts are essential for a complete understanding of naked mole-rat cooperation, society and even culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J Barker
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Straße 4, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ursula Koch
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sonja J Pyott
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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20
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Montoya-Sanhueza G, Bennett NC, Oosthuizen MK, Dengler-Crish CM, Chinsamy A. Long bone histomorphogenesis of the naked mole-rat: Histodiversity and intraspecific variation. J Anat 2020; 238:1259-1283. [PMID: 33305850 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lacking fur, living in eusocial colonies and having the longest lifespan of any rodent, makes naked mole-rats (NMRs) rather peculiar mammals. Although they exhibit a high degree of polymorphism, skeletal plasticity and are considered a novel model to assess the effects of delayed puberty on the skeletal system, scarce information on their morphogenesis exists. Here, we examined a large ontogenetic sample (n = 76) of subordinate individuals to assess the pattern of bone growth and bone microstructure of fore- and hindlimb bones by using histomorphological techniques. Over 290 undecalcified thin cross-sections from the midshaft of the humerus, ulna, femur, and tibia from pups, juveniles and adults were analyzed with polarized light microscopy. Similar to other fossorial mammals, NMRs exhibited a systematic cortical thickening of their long bones, which clearly indicates a conserved functional adaptation to withstand the mechanical strains imposed during digging, regardless of their chisel-tooth predominance. We describe a high histodiversity of bone matrices and the formation of secondary osteons in NMRs. The bones of pups are extremely thin-walled and grow by periosteal bone formation coupled with considerable expansion of the medullary cavity, a process probably tightly regulated and adapted to optimize the amount of minerals destined for skeletal development, to thus allow the female breeder to produce a higher number of pups, as well as several litters. Subsequent cortical thickening in juveniles involves high amounts of endosteal bone apposition, which contrasts with the bone modeling of other mammals where a periosteal predominance exists. Adults have bone matrices predominantly consisting of parallel-fibered bone and lamellar bone, which indicate intermediate to slow rates of osteogenesis, as well as the development of poorly vascularized lamellar-zonal tissues separated by lines of arrested growth (LAGs) and annuli. These features reflect the low metabolism, low body temperature and slow growth rates reported for this species, as well as indicate a cyclical pattern of osteogenesis. The presence of LAGs in captive individuals was striking and indicates that postnatal osteogenesis and its consequent cortical stratification most likely represents a plesiomorphic thermometabolic strategy among endotherms which has been suggested to be regulated by endogenous rhythms. However, the generalized presence of LAGs in this and other subterranean taxa in the wild, as well as recent investigations on variability of environmental conditions in burrow systems, supports the hypothesis that underground environments experience seasonal fluctuations that may influence the postnatal osteogenesis of animals by limiting the extension of burrow systems during the unfavorable dry seasons and therefore the finding of food resources. Additionally, the intraspecific variation found in the formation of bone tissue matrices and vascularization suggested a high degree of developmental plasticity in NMRs, which may help explaining the polymorphism reported for this species. The results obtained here represent a valuable contribution to understanding the relationship of several aspects involved in the morphogenesis of the skeletal system of a mammal with extraordinary adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Montoya-Sanhueza
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Maria K Oosthuizen
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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21
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Braude S, Holtze S, Begall S, Brenmoehl J, Burda H, Dammann P, Marmol D, Gorshkova E, Henning Y, Hoeflich A, Höhn A, Jung T, Hamo D, Sahm A, Shebzukhov Y, Šumbera R, Miwa S, Vyssokikh MY, Zglinicki T, Averina O, Hildebrandt TB. Surprisingly long survival of premature conclusions about naked mole‐rat biology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:376-393. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stan Braude
- Biology Department Washington University, One Brookings Drive St. Louis MO 63130 U.S.A
| | - Susanne Holtze
- Department of Reproduction Management Leibniz‐Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin 10315 Germany
| | - Sabine Begall
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology University of Duisburg‐Essen, Universitätsstr Essen 45147 Germany
| | - Julia Brenmoehl
- Institute for Genome Biology Leibniz‐Institute for Farm Animal Biology Dummerstorf 18196 Germany
| | - Hynek Burda
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Praha 16500 Czech Republic
| | - Philip Dammann
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology University of Duisburg‐Essen, Universitätsstr Essen 45147 Germany
- University Hospital Essen Hufelandstr Essen 45141 Germany
| | - Delphine Marmol
- Molecular Physiology Research Unit (URPhyM), NARILIS University of Namur Namur 5000 Belgium
| | - Ekaterina Gorshkova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 32 Moscow 119991 Russia
- Faculty of Biology Lomonosov Moscow State University Moscow 119991 Russia
| | - Yoshiyuki Henning
- University Hospital Essen Hufelandstr Essen 45141 Germany
- Institute of Physiology Department of General Zoology University of Duisburg Essen Germany
| | - Andreas Hoeflich
- Division Signal Transduction Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz‐Institute for Farm Animal Biology, FBN Dummerstorf, Wilhelm‐Stahl‐Allee 2 Dummerstorf 18196 Germany
| | - Annika Höhn
- Department of Molecular Toxicology German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) Potsdam‐Rehbrücke Nuthetal 14558 Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) München‐Neuherberg 85764 Germany
| | - Tobias Jung
- Department of Molecular Toxicology German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) Potsdam‐Rehbrücke Nuthetal 14558 Germany
| | - Dania Hamo
- Charité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) Berlin 13353 Germany
- German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin (DRFZ) Berlin 10117 Germany
| | - Arne Sahm
- Computational Biology Group Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Yury Shebzukhov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 32 Moscow 119991 Russia
- Charité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) Berlin 13353 Germany
| | - Radim Šumbera
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice 37005 Czech Republic
| | - Satomi Miwa
- Biosciences Institute, Edwardson building, Campus for Ageing and Vitality Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL U.K
| | - Mikhail Y. Vyssokikh
- Belozersky Institute of Physico‐Chemical Biology Lomonosov Moscow State University Moscow 119991 Russia
| | - Thomas Zglinicki
- Biosciences Institute, Edwardson building, Campus for Ageing and Vitality Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL U.K
| | - Olga Averina
- Belozersky Institute of Physico‐Chemical Biology Lomonosov Moscow State University Moscow 119991 Russia
| | - Thomas B. Hildebrandt
- Department of Reproduction Management Leibniz‐Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin 10315 Germany
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22
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Jimenez AG, Downs CJ. Untangling life span and body mass discrepancies in canids: phylogenetic comparison of oxidative stress in blood from domestic dogs and wild canids. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2020; 319:R203-R210. [PMID: 32609535 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00067.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Canids are a morphological and physiological diverse group of animals, with the most diversity found within one species, the domestic dog. Underlying observed morphological differences, there must also be differences at other levels of organization that could lead to elucidating aging rates and life span disparities between wild and domestic canids. Furthermore, small-breed dogs live significantly longer lives than large-breed dogs, while having higher mass-specific metabolic rates and faster growth rates. At the cellular level, a clear mechanism underlying whole animal traits has not been fully elucidated, although oxidative stress has been implicated as a potential culprit of the disparate life spans of domestic dogs. We used plasma and red blood cells from known aged domestic dogs and wild canids, and measured several oxidative stress variables: total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipid damage, and enzymatic activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). We used phylogenetically informed general linear mixed models and nonphylogenetically corrected linear regression analysis. We found that lipid damage increases with age in domestic dogs, whereas TAC increases with age and TAC and GPx activity increases as a function of age/maximum life span in wild canids, which may partly explain longer potential life spans in wolves. As body mass increases, TAC and GPx activity increase in wild canids, but not domestic dogs, highlighting that artificial selection may have decreased antioxidant capacity in domestic dogs. We found that small-breed dogs have significantly higher circulating lipid damage compared with large-breed dogs, concomitant to their high mass-specific metabolism and higher growth rates, but in opposition to their long life spans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana G Jimenez
- Colgate University, Department of Biology, Hamilton, New York
| | - Cynthia J Downs
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Department of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York
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23
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Yen K, Mehta HH, Kim SJ, Lue Y, Hoang J, Guerrero N, Port J, Bi Q, Navarrete G, Brandhorst S, Lewis KN, Wan J, Swerdloff R, Mattison JA, Buffenstein R, Breton CV, Wang C, Longo V, Atzmon G, Wallace D, Barzilai N, Cohen P. The mitochondrial derived peptide humanin is a regulator of lifespan and healthspan. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:11185-11199. [PMID: 32575074 PMCID: PMC7343442 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Humanin is a member of a new family of peptides that are encoded by short open reading frames within the mitochondrial genome. It is conserved in animals and is both neuroprotective and cytoprotective. Here we report that in C. elegans the overexpression of humanin is sufficient to increase lifespan, dependent on daf-16/Foxo. Humanin transgenic mice have many phenotypes that overlap with the worm phenotypes and, similar to exogenous humanin treatment, have increased protection against toxic insults. Treating middle-aged mice twice weekly with the potent humanin analogue HNG, humanin improves metabolic healthspan parameters and reduces inflammatory markers. In multiple species, humanin levels generally decline with age, but here we show that levels are surprisingly stable in the naked mole-rat, a model of negligible senescence. Furthermore, in children of centenarians, who are more likely to become centenarians themselves, circulating humanin levels are much greater than age-matched control subjects. Further linking humanin to healthspan, we observe that humanin levels are decreased in human diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and MELAS (Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like episodes). Together, these studies are the first to demonstrate that humanin is linked to improved healthspan and increased lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin Yen
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Hemal H. Mehta
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Su-Jeong Kim
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - YanHe Lue
- Department of Medicine, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - James Hoang
- Department of Medicine, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Noel Guerrero
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Jenna Port
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Qiuli Bi
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Gerardo Navarrete
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sebastian Brandhorst
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Noel Lewis
- Department of Physiology, The Barshop Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Junxiang Wan
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Ronald Swerdloff
- Department of Medicine, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Julie A. Mattison
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, Dickerson, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Department of Physiology, The Barshop Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Calico Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Carrie V. Breton
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Christina Wang
- Department of Medicine, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA 90502, USA
| | - Valter Longo
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Gil Atzmon
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Douglas Wallace
- Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nir Barzilai
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Pinchas Cohen
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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24
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Shepard A, Kissil JL. The use of non-traditional models in the study of cancer resistance-the case of the naked mole rat. Oncogene 2020; 39:5083-5097. [PMID: 32535616 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1355-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Non-traditional model organisms are typically defined as any model the deviates from the typical laboratory animals, such as mouse, rat, and worm. These models are becoming increasingly important in human disease research, such as cancer, as they often display unusual biological features. Naked mole rats (NMRs) are currently one of the most popular non-traditional model, particularly in the longevity and cancer research fields. NMRs display an exceptionally long lifespan (~30 years), yet have been observed to display a low incidence of cancer, making them excellent candidates for understanding endogenous cancer resistance mechanisms. Over the past decade, many potential resistance mechanisms have been characterized. These include unique biological mechanisms involved in genome stability, protein stability, oxidative metabolism, and other cellular mechanisms such as cell cycle regulation and senescence. This review aims to summarize the many identified cancer resistance mechanisms to understand some of the main hypotheses that have thus far been generated. Many of these proposed mechanisms remain to be fully characterized or confirmed in vivo, giving the field a direction to grow and further understand the complex biology displayed by the NMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Shepard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Joseph L Kissil
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA.
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25
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Holtze S, Koch R, Hildebrandt TB, Lemma A, Szafranski K, Platzer M, Alemayehu F, Goeritz F, Braude S. Hematologic adaptation to the subterranean environment by the naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus glaber (Ctenohystrica: Heterocephalidae). J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractOne method burrowing animals are hypothesized to use in adapting to the presumed hypoxic subterranean environment is increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. A number of recent studies have examined hematologic parameters in laboratory-reared naked mole-rats, but not in animals living under natural atmospheric conditions. To our knowledge, blood chemistry parameters have never been systematically assessed in a fossorial mammal. In this study we examined the blood of wild naked mole-rats in Kenya and Ethiopia to determine whether their blood chemistry differs significantly from naked mole-rats born and living in captivity. We also compared our results to published values for hystricomorphs, other subterranean rodents, and surface-dwelling rodents of similar size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Holtze
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz-Instiute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Bernd Hildebrandt
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz-Instiute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alemayehu Lemma
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia
| | - Karol Szafranski
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz-Instiute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Platzer
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz-Instiute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fitsum Alemayehu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia
| | - Frank Goeritz
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz-Instiute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stan Braude
- Biology Department, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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26
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Takasugi M, Firsanov D, Tombline G, Ning H, Ablaeva J, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V. Naked mole-rat very-high-molecular-mass hyaluronan exhibits superior cytoprotective properties. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2376. [PMID: 32398747 PMCID: PMC7217962 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16050-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Naked mole-rat (NMR), the longest-living rodent, produces very-high-molecular-mass hyaluronan (vHMM-HA), compared to other mammalian species. However, it is unclear if exceptional polymer length of vHMM-HA is important for longevity. Here, we show that vHMM-HA (>6.1 MDa) has superior cytoprotective properties compared to the shorter HMM-HA. It protects not only NMR cells, but also mouse and human cells from stress-induced cell-cycle arrest and cell death in a polymer length-dependent manner. The cytoprotective effect is dependent on the major HA-receptor, CD44. We find that vHMM-HA suppresses CD44 protein-protein interactions, whereas HMM-HA promotes them. As a result, vHMM-HA and HMM-HA induce opposing effects on the expression of CD44-dependent genes, which are associated with the p53 pathway. Concomitantly, vHMM-HA partially attenuates p53 and protects cells from stress in a p53-dependent manner. Our results implicate vHMM-HA in anti-aging mechanisms and suggest the potential applications of vHMM-HA for enhancing cellular stress resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Takasugi
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Denis Firsanov
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Gregory Tombline
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Hanbing Ning
- Department of Digestive Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, People's Republic of China
| | - Julia Ablaeva
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Andrei Seluanov
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
| | - Vera Gorbunova
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
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27
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Lee BP, Smith M, Buffenstein R, Harries LW. Negligible senescence in naked mole rats may be a consequence of well-maintained splicing regulation. GeroScience 2020; 42:633-651. [PMID: 31927681 PMCID: PMC7205774 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-019-00150-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMRs) have amongst the longest lifespans relative to body size of any known, non-volant mammalian species. They also display an enhanced stress resistance phenotype, negligible senescence and very rarely are they burdened with chronic age-related diseases. Alternative splicing (AS) dysregulation is emerging as a potential driver of senescence and ageing. We hypothesised that the expression of splicing factors, important regulators of patterns of AS, may differ in NMRs when compared to other species with relatively shorter lifespans. We designed assays specific to NMR splicing regulatory factors and also to a panel of pre-selected brain-expressed genes known to demonstrate senescence-related alterations in AS in other species, and measured age-related changes in the transcript expression levels of these using embryonic and neonatal developmental stages through to extreme old age in NMR brain samples. We also compared splicing factor expression in both young mouse and NMR spleen and brain samples. Both NMR tissues showed approximately double the expression levels observed in tissues from similarly sized mice. Furthermore, contrary to observations in other species, following a brief period of labile expression in early life stages, adult NMR splicing factors and patterns of AS for functionally relevant brain genes remained remarkably stable for at least two decades. These findings are consistent with a model whereby the conservation of splicing regulation and stable patterns of AS may contribute to better molecular stress responses and the avoidance of senescence in NMRs, contributing to their exceptional lifespan and prolonged healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
- B P Lee
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK
| | - M Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - R Buffenstein
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - L W Harries
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK.
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28
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Buffenstein R, Lewis KN, Gibney PA, Narayan V, Grimes KM, Smith M, Lin TD, Brown-Borg HM. Probing Pedomorphy and Prolonged Lifespan in Naked Mole-Rats and Dwarf Mice. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 35:96-111. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00032.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pedomorphy, maintenance of juvenile traits throughout life, is most pronounced in extraordinarily long-lived naked mole-rats. Many of these traits (e.g., slow growth rates, low hormone levels, and delayed sexual maturity) are shared with spontaneously mutated, long-lived dwarf mice. Although some youthful traits likely evolved as adaptations to subterranean habitats (e.g., thermolability), the nature of these intrinsic pedomorphic features may also contribute to their prolonged youthfulness, longevity, and healthspan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrick A. Gibney
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
- Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Stocking Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Vikram Narayan
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Kelly M. Grimes
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Tzuhua D. Lin
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California
| | - Holly M. Brown-Borg
- Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota
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29
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Popov NA, Skulachev VP. Neotenic Traits in Heterocephalus glaber and Homo sapiens. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2019; 84:1484-1489. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006297919120071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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30
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Lau GY, Milsom WK, Richards JG, Pamenter ME. Heart mitochondria from naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are more coupled, but similarly susceptible to anoxia-reoxygenation stress than in laboratory mice (Mus musculus). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 240:110375. [PMID: 31678269 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2019.110375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber; NMRs) are among the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals described to date and exhibit plastic responses during hypoxia exposure. The goal of the present study was to determine if heart mitochondria from NMRs functionally differ from those of hypoxia-intolerant common laboratory mice (Mus musculus). We assessed heart mitochondrial respiratory flux, proton leak kinetics, responses to in vitro anoxia-recovery, and maximal complex enzyme activities. When investigated at their respective body temperatures (28 °C for NMR and 37 °C for mice), NMR heart mitochondria had lower respiratory fluxes relative to mice, particularly for state 2 and oligomycin-induced state 4 leak respiration rates. When leak respiration rates were standardized to the same membrane potential, NMR mitochondria had lower complex II-stimulated state 2 respiration rates than mice. Both mice and NMRs responded similarly to an in vitro anoxia-recovery challenge and decreased state 3 respiration rate post-anoxia. Finally, NMRs had overall lower maximal complex enzyme activities compared with mice, but the magnitude of the difference did not correspond with observed differences in respiratory fluxes. Overall, heart mitochondria from NMRs appear more coupled than those of mice, but in both species the heart appears equally susceptible to ischemic-reperfusion injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Y Lau
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - W K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - J G Richards
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - M E Pamenter
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
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31
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Viltard M, Durand S, Pérez-Lanzón M, Aprahamian F, Lefevre D, Leroy C, Madeo F, Kroemer G, Friedlander G. The metabolomic signature of extreme longevity: naked mole rats versus mice. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:4783-4800. [PMID: 31346149 PMCID: PMC6682510 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is characterized by a more than tenfold higher life expectancy compared to another rodent species of the same size, namely, the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus). We used mass spectrometric metabolomics to analyze circulating plasma metabolites in both species at different ages. Interspecies differences were much more pronounced than age-associated alterations in the metabolome. Such interspecies divergences affected multiple metabolic pathways involving amino, bile and fatty acids as well as monosaccharides and nucleotides. The most intriguing metabolites were those that had previously been linked to pro-health and antiaging effects in mice and that were significantly increased in the long-lived rodent compared to its short-lived counterpart. This pattern applies to α-tocopherol (also known as vitamin E) and polyamines (in particular cadaverine, N8-acetylspermidine and N1,N8-diacetylspermidine), all of which were more abundant in naked mole-rats than in mice. Moreover, the age-associated decline in spermidine and N1-acetylspermidine levels observed in mice did not occur, or is even reversed (in the case of N1-acetylspermidine) in naked mole-rats. In short, the present metabolomics analysis provides a series of testable hypotheses to explain the exceptional longevity of naked mole-rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Viltard
- Fondation pour la Recherche en Physiologie, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sylvère Durand
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
| | - Maria Pérez-Lanzón
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Paris Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Fanny Aprahamian
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
| | - Deborah Lefevre
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
| | - Christine Leroy
- INSERM UMR_S1151 CNRS UMR8253 Institut Necker-Enfants Malades (INEM), Paris, France
| | - Frank Madeo
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
- Pôle de Biologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Paris, France
- Suzhou Institute for Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gérard Friedlander
- INSERM UMR_S1151 CNRS UMR8253 Institut Necker-Enfants Malades (INEM), Paris, France
- Service de Physiologie et Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
- Université de Paris - Paris Descartes, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
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32
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Ruby JG, Smith M, Buffenstein R. Naked Mole-Rat mortality rates defy gompertzian laws by not increasing with age. eLife 2018; 7:31157. [PMID: 29364116 PMCID: PMC5783610 DOI: 10.7554/elife.31157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The longest-lived rodent, the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), has a reported maximum lifespan of >30 years and exhibits delayed and/or attenuated age-associated physiological declines. We questioned whether these mouse-sized, eusocial rodents conform to Gompertzian mortality laws by experiencing an exponentially increasing risk of death as they get older. We compiled and analyzed a large compendium of historical naked mole-rat lifespan data with >3000 data points. Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed a substantial portion of the population to have survived at 30 years of age. Moreover, unlike all other mammals studied to date, and regardless of sex or breeding-status, the age-specific hazard of mortality did not increase with age, even at ages 25-fold past their time to reproductive maturity. This absence of hazard increase with age, in defiance of Gompertz's law, uniquely identifies the naked mole-rat as a non-aging mammal, confirming its status as an exceptional model for biogerontology.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Graham Ruby
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Megan Smith
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
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Novel treatment strategies for chronic kidney disease: insights from the animal kingdom. Nat Rev Nephrol 2018; 14:265-284. [PMID: 29332935 DOI: 10.1038/nrneph.2017.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Many of the >2 million animal species that inhabit Earth have developed survival mechanisms that aid in the prevention of obesity, kidney disease, starvation, dehydration and vascular ageing; however, some animals remain susceptible to these complications. Domestic and captive wild felids, for example, show susceptibility to chronic kidney disease (CKD), potentially linked to the high protein intake of these animals. By contrast, naked mole rats are a model of longevity and are protected from extreme environmental conditions through mechanisms that provide resistance to oxidative stress. Biomimetic studies suggest that the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) offers protection in extreme environmental conditions and promotes longevity in the animal kingdom. Similarly, during months of fasting, immobilization and anuria, hibernating bears are protected from muscle wasting, azotaemia, thrombotic complications, organ damage and osteoporosis - features that are often associated with CKD. Improved understanding of the susceptibility and protective mechanisms of these animals and others could provide insights into novel strategies to prevent and treat several human diseases, such as CKD and ageing-associated complications. An integrated collaboration between nephrologists and experts from other fields, such as veterinarians, zoologists, biologists, anthropologists and ecologists, could introduce a novel approach for improving human health and help nephrologists to find novel treatment strategies for CKD.
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Omerbašić D, Smith ESJ, Moroni M, Homfeld J, Eigenbrod O, Bennett NC, Reznick J, Faulkes CG, Selbach M, Lewin GR. Hypofunctional TrkA Accounts for the Absence of Pain Sensitization in the African Naked Mole-Rat. Cell Rep 2017; 17:748-758. [PMID: 27732851 PMCID: PMC5081396 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The naked mole-rat is a subterranean rodent lacking several pain behaviors found in humans, rats, and mice. For example, nerve growth factor (NGF), an important mediator of pain sensitization, fails to produce thermal hyperalgesia in naked mole-rats. The sensitization of capsaicin-sensitive TRPV1 ion channels is necessary for NGF-induced hyperalgesia, but naked mole-rats have fully functional TRPV1 channels. We show that exposing isolated naked mole-rat nociceptors to NGF does not sensitize TRPV1. However, the naked mole-rat NGF receptor TrkA displays a reduced ability to engage signal transduction pathways that sensitize TRPV1. Between one- and three-amino-acid substitutions in the kinase domain of the naked mole-rat TrkA are sufficient to render the receptor hypofunctional, and this is associated with the absence of heat hyperalgesia. Our data suggest that evolution has selected for a TrkA variant that abolishes a robust nociceptive behavior in this species but is still compatible with species fitness. TRPV1 ion channels in naked mole-rat nociceptors are not sensitized by NGF Naked mole-rat TRPV1 channels are sensitized by NGF in mouse nociceptors NGF activation of naked mole-rat TrkA receptors does not sensitize TRPV1 One to three amino acids in the naked mole-rat TrkA receptors may render it hypofunctional
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Affiliation(s)
- Damir Omerbašić
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Proteome Dynamics Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ewan St J Smith
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Mirko Moroni
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Homfeld
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ole Eigenbrod
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, Republic of South Africa
| | - Jane Reznick
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Chris G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Matthias Selbach
- Proteome Dynamics Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; Excellence Cluster Neurocure, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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Dammann P. Slow aging in mammals-Lessons from African mole-rats and bats. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 70:154-163. [PMID: 28698112 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Traditionally, the main mammalian models used in aging research have been mice and rats, i.e. short-lived species that obviously lack effective maintenance mechanisms to keep their soma in a functional state for prolonged periods of time. It is doubtful that life-extending mechanisms identified only in such short-lived species adequately reflect the diversity of longevity pathways that have naturally evolved in mammals, or that they have much relevance for long-lived species such as humans. Therefore, some complementary, long-lived mammalian models have been introduced to aging research in the past 15-20 years, particularly naked mole-rats (and to a lesser extent also other mole-rats) and bats. Here, I summarize and compare the most important results regarding various aspects of aging - oxidative stress, molecular homeostasis and repair, and endocrinology - that have been obtained from studies using these new mammalian models of high longevity. I argue that the inclusion of these models was an important step forward, because it drew researchers' attention to certain oversimplifications of existing aging theories and to several features that appear to be universal components of enhanced longevity in mammals. However, even among mammals with high longevity, considerable variation exists with respect to other candidate mechanisms that also must be taken into account if inadequate generalizations are to be avoided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Dammann
- Central Animal Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg, Essen, Germany.
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Lagunas-Rangel FA, Chávez-Valencia V. Learning of nature: The curious case of the naked mole rat. Mech Ageing Dev 2017; 164:76-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Skulachev VP, Holtze S, Vyssokikh MY, Bakeeva LE, Skulachev MV, Markov AV, Hildebrandt TB, Sadovnichii VA. Neoteny, Prolongation of Youth: From Naked Mole Rats to “Naked Apes” (Humans). Physiol Rev 2017; 97:699-720. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00040.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that highly social mammals, such as naked mole rats and humans, are long-lived due to neoteny (the prolongation of youth). In both species, aging cannot operate as a mechanism facilitating natural selection because the pressure of this selection is strongly reduced due to 1) a specific social structure where only the “queen” and her “husband(s)” are involved in reproduction (naked mole rats) or 2) substituting fast technological progress for slow biological evolution (humans). Lists of numerous traits of youth that do not disappear with age in naked mole rats and humans are presented and discussed. A high resistance of naked mole rats to cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and brain diseases, and many infections explains why their mortality rate is very low and almost age-independent and why their lifespan is more than 30 years, versus 3 years in mice. In young humans, curves of mortality versus age start at extremely low values. However, in the elderly, human mortality strongly increases. High mortality rates in other primates are observed at much younger ages than in humans. The inhibition of the aging process in humans by specific drugs seems to be a promising approach to prolong our healthspan. This might be a way to retard aging, which is already partially accomplished via the natural physiological phenomenon neoteny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir P. Skulachev
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Susanne Holtze
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail Y. Vyssokikh
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Lora E. Bakeeva
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim V. Skulachev
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander V. Markov
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Thomas B. Hildebrandt
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Viktor A. Sadovnichii
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute of Mitoengineering, Moscow, Russia; Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow, Russia
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Lewis KN, Soifer I, Melamud E, Roy M, McIsaac RS, Hibbs M, Buffenstein R. Unraveling the message: insights into comparative genomics of the naked mole-rat. Mamm Genome 2016; 27:259-78. [PMID: 27364349 PMCID: PMC4935753 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-016-9648-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals have evolved to survive, and even thrive, in different environments. Genetic adaptations may have indirectly created phenotypes that also resulted in a longer lifespan. One example of this phenomenon is the preternaturally long-lived naked mole-rat. This strictly subterranean rodent tolerates hypoxia, hypercapnia, and soil-based toxins. Naked mole-rats also exhibit pronounced resistance to cancer and an attenuated decline of many physiological characteristics that often decline as mammals age. Elucidating mechanisms that give rise to their unique phenotypes will lead to better understanding of subterranean ecophysiology and biology of aging. Comparative genomics could be a useful tool in this regard. Since the publication of a naked mole-rat genome assembly in 2011, analyses of genomic and transcriptomic data have enabled a clearer understanding of mole-rat evolutionary history and suggested molecular pathways (e.g., NRF2-signaling activation and DNA damage repair mechanisms) that may explain the extraordinarily longevity and unique health traits of this species. However, careful scrutiny and re-analysis suggest that some identified features result from incorrect or imprecise annotation and assembly of the naked mole-rat genome: in addition, some of these conclusions (e.g., genes involved in cancer resistance and hairlessness) are rejected when the analysis includes additional, more closely related species. We describe how the combination of better study design, improved genomic sequencing techniques, and new bioinformatic and data analytical tools will improve comparative genomics and ultimately bridge the gap between traditional model and nonmodel organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn N Lewis
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Ilya Soifer
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Eugene Melamud
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Margaret Roy
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - R Scott McIsaac
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Matthew Hibbs
- Computer Science Department, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, 78212, USA
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, 1170 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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McIsaac RS, Lewis KN, Gibney PA, Buffenstein R. From yeast to human: exploring the comparative biology of methionine restriction in extending eukaryotic life span. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1363:155-70. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Revised: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Pamenter ME, Dzal YA, Milsom WK. Adenosine receptors mediate the hypoxic ventilatory response but not the hypoxic metabolic response in the naked mole rat during acute hypoxia. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20141722. [PMID: 25520355 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Naked mole rats are the most hypoxia-tolerant mammals identified; however, the mechanisms underlying this tolerance are poorly understood. Using whole-animal plethysmography and open-flow respirometry, we examined the hypoxic metabolic response (HMR), hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) and hypoxic thermal response in awake, freely behaving naked mole rats exposed to 7% O₂ for 1 h. Metabolic rate and ventilation each reversibly decreased 70% in hypoxia (from 39.6 ± 2.9 to 12.1 ± 0.3 ml O₂ min(-1) kg(-1), and 1412 ± 244 to 417 ± 62 ml min(-1) kg(-1), respectively; p < 0.05), whereas body temperature was unchanged and animals remained awake and active. Subcutaneous injection of the general adenosine receptor antagonist aminophylline (AMP; 100 mg kg(-1), in saline), but not control saline injections, prevented the HVR but had no effect on the HMR. As a result, AMP-treated naked mole rats exhibited extreme hyperventilation in hypoxia. These animals were also less tolerant to hypoxia, and in some cases hypoxia was lethal following AMP injection. We conclude that in naked mole rats (i) hypoxia tolerance is partially dependent on profound hypoxic metabolic and ventilatory responses, which are equal in magnitude but occur independently of thermal changes in hypoxia, and (ii) adenosine receptors mediate the HVR but not the HMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Pamenter
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Yvonne A Dzal
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - William K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
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Stenvinkel P, Kooman JP, Shiels PG. Nutrients and ageing: what can we learn about ageing interactions from animal biology? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2016; 19:19-25. [PMID: 26485336 DOI: 10.1097/mco.0000000000000234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Many prevalent clinical conditions, such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary, and cardiovascular disease associate with features of premature ageing, such as muscle wasting, hypogonadism, osteoporosis, and arteriosclerosis. Studies on various animal models have shown that caloric restriction prolongs lifespan. Studies of animals with unusual long or short life for their body size may also contribute to better understanding of ageing processes. The aim of the present article is to review what we can learn about nutritional modulations and ageing interactions from animal biology. RECENT FINDINGS Caloric restriction is a powerful intervention that increases longevity in animals ranging from short-lived species, such as worms and flies, to primates. As long-term studies on caloric restriction are not feasible to conduct in humans, much interest has focused on the impact of caloric restriction mimetics, such as resveratrol, on ageing processes. Recent data from studies on the long-lived naked mole rat have provided important novel information on metabolic alterations and antioxidative defense mechanisms that characterize longevity. SUMMARY Better understanding of the biology of exceptionally long-lived animals will contribute to better understanding of ageing processes and novel interventions to extend lifespan also in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Stenvinkel
- aDivision of Renal Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital at Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden bDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Maastricht, the Netherlands cInstitute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Translational Research Center, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Delaney MA, Kinsel MJ, Treuting PM. Renal Pathology in a Nontraditional Aging Model: The Naked Mole-Rat (Heterocephalus glaber). Vet Pathol 2015; 53:493-503. [PMID: 26574557 DOI: 10.1177/0300985815612557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (NMR; Heterocephalus glaber) is growing in popularity as a model for aging research due to its extreme longevity (up to 30 years), highly adapted physiology, and resistance to cancer, particularly when compared with traditional aging models such as laboratory mice and rats. Despite the NMR's seemingly lengthy health span, several age-related lesions have been documented. During a 15-year retrospective evaluation of a zoo-housed population, histologic changes in the kidneys were reported in 127 of 138 (92%) adult NMRs. Of these, renal tubular mineralization was very common (115 of 127; 90.6%) and found in NMRs without concurrent renal lesions (36 of 127; 28.3%). Many of the other described lesions were considered progressive stages of a single process, generally referred to as chronic nephritis or nephropathy, and diagnosed in 73 of 127 (57.5%), while end-stage renal disease was reported in only 12 (9.4%) NMRs. Renal lesions of these NMRs were comparable to disease entities reported in laboratory rats and certain strains of inbred and noninbred mice. Although many lesions of NMR kidneys were similar to those found in aged laboratory rodents, some common urinary diseases were not represented in the examined colonies. The goal of this study was to describe renal lesions in NMRs from a zoologic setting to familiarize investigators and pathologists with an apparently common and presumably age-related disease in this nontraditional model.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Delaney
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - M J Kinsel
- Zoological Pathology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - P M Treuting
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Multifactorial processes to slowing the biological clock: Insights from a comparative approach. Exp Gerontol 2015; 71:27-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Protracted brain development in a rodent model of extreme longevity. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11592. [PMID: 26118676 PMCID: PMC4484490 DOI: 10.1038/srep11592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme longevity requires the continuous and large-scale adaptation of organ systems to delay senescence. Naked mole rats are the longest-living rodents, whose nervous system likely undergoes life-long adaptive reorganization. Nevertheless, neither the cellular organization of their cerebral cortex nor indices of structural neuronal plasticity along extreme time-scales have been established. We find that adult neurogenesis and neuronal migration are not unusual in naked mole rat brains. Instead, we show the prolonged expression of structural plasticity markers, many recognized as being developmentally controlled, and multi-year-long postnatal neuromorphogenesis and spatial synapse refinement in hippocampal and olfactory structures of the naked mole rat brain. Neurophysiological studies on identified hippocampal neurons demonstrated that morphological differentiation is disconnected from the control of excitability in all neuronal contingents regardless of their ability to self-renew. Overall, we conclude that naked mole rats show an extremely protracted period of brain maturation that may permit plasticity and resilience to neurodegenerative processes over their decades-long life span. This conclusion is consistent with the hypothesis that naked mole rats are neotenous, with retention of juvenile characteristics to permit survival in a hypoxic environment, with extreme longevity a consequence of greatly retarded development.
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Triplett JC, Swomley A, Kirk J, Lewis K, Orr M, Rodriguez K, Cai J, Klein JB, Buffenstein R, Butterfield DA. Metabolic clues to salubrious longevity in the brain of the longest-lived rodent: the naked mole-rat. J Neurochem 2015; 134:538-50. [PMID: 25940666 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole-rats (NMRs) are the oldest-living rodent species. Living underground in a thermally stable ecological niche, NMRs have evolved certain exceptional traits, resulting in sustained health spans, negligible cognitive decline, and a pronounced resistance to age-related disease. Uncovering insights into mechanisms underlying these extraordinary traits involved in successful aging may conceivably provide crucial clues to extend the human life span and health span. One of the most fundamental processes inside the cell is the production of ATP, which is an essential fuel in driving all other energy-requiring cellular activities. Not surprisingly, a prominent hallmark in age-related diseases, such as neurodegeneration and cancer, is the impairment and dysregulation of metabolic pathways. Using a two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis proteomics approach, alterations in expression and phosphorylation levels of metabolic proteins in the brains of NMRs, aged 2-24 years, were evaluated in an age-dependent manner. We identified 13 proteins with altered levels and/or phosphorylation states that play key roles in various metabolic pathways including glycolysis, β-oxidation, the malate-aspartate shuttle, the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (TCA) cycle, the electron transport chain, NADPH production, as well as the production of glutamate. New insights into potential pathways involved in metabolic aspects of successful aging have been obtained by the identification of key proteins through which the NMR brain responds and adapts to the aging process and how the NMR brain adapted to resist age-related degeneration. This study examines the changes in the proteome and phosphoproteome in the brain of the naked mole-rat aged 2-24 years. We identified 13 proteins (labeled in red) with altered expression and/or phosphorylation levels that are conceivably associated with sustained metabolic functions in the oldest NMRs that may promote a sustained health span and life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy C Triplett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Aaron Swomley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jessime Kirk
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Katilyn Lewis
- Sam and Ann Barsop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Miranda Orr
- Sam and Ann Barsop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Karl Rodriguez
- Sam and Ann Barsop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Jian Cai
- Department of Nephrology and Proteomics Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jon B Klein
- Department of Nephrology and Proteomics Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Sam and Ann Barsop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.,Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - D Allan Butterfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.,Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Rønning B, Moe B, Berntsen HH, Noreen E, Bech C. Is the rate of metabolic ageing and survival determined by Basal metabolic rate in the zebra finch? PLoS One 2014; 9:e108675. [PMID: 25265184 PMCID: PMC4181314 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between energy metabolism and ageing is of great interest because aerobic metabolism is the primary source of reactive oxygen species which is believed to be of major importance in the ageing process. We conducted a longitudinal study on captive zebra finches where we tested the effect of age on basal metabolic rate (BMR), as well as the effect of BMR on the rate of metabolic ageing (decline in BMR with age) and survival. Basal metabolic rate declined with age in both sexes after controlling for the effect of body mass, indicating a loss of functionality with age. This loss of functionality could be due to accumulated oxidative damage, believed to increase with increasing metabolic rate, c.f. the free radical theory of ageing. If so, we would expect the rate of metabolic ageing to increase and survival to decrease with increasing BMR. However, we found no effect of BMR on the rate of metabolic ageing. Furthermore, survival was not affected by BMR in the males. In female zebra finches there was a tendency for survival to decrease with increasing BMR, but the effect did not reach significance (P<0.1). Thus, the effect of BMR on the rate of functional deterioration with age, if any, was not strong enough to influence neither the rate of metabolic ageing nor survival in the zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernt Rønning
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik H. Berntsen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Elin Noreen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Claus Bech
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Elliott KH, Hare JF, Le Vaillant M, Gaston AJ, Ropert‐Coudert Y, Anderson WG. Ageing gracefully: physiology but not behaviour declines with age in a diving seabird. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle H. Elliott
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
| | - James F. Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
| | - Maryline Le Vaillant
- IPHC Université de Strasbourg 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifiques UMR7178 67037 Strasbourg France
| | - Anthony J. Gaston
- National Wildlife Research Centre Environment Canada Carleton University Ottawa OntarioK1A 0H3 Canada
| | - Yan Ropert‐Coudert
- IPHC Université de Strasbourg 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifiques UMR7178 67037 Strasbourg France
| | - W. Gary Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
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49
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Grimes KM, Reddy AK, Lindsey ML, Buffenstein R. And the beat goes on: maintained cardiovascular function during aging in the longest-lived rodent, the naked mole-rat. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2014; 307:H284-91. [PMID: 24906918 PMCID: PMC4121653 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00305.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (NMR) is the longest-lived rodent known, with a maximum lifespan potential (MLSP) of >31 years. Despite such extreme longevity, these animals display attenuation of many age-associated diseases and functional changes until the last quartile of their MLSP. We questioned if such abilities would extend to cardiovascular function and structure in this species. To test this, we assessed cardiac functional reserve, ventricular morphology, and arterial stiffening in NMRs ranging from 2 to 24 years of age. Dobutamine echocardiography (3 μg/g ip) revealed no age-associated changes in left ventricular (LV) function either at baseline or with exercise-like stress. Baseline and dobutamine-induced LV pressure parameters also did not change. Thus the NMR, unlike other mammals, maintains cardiac reserve with age. NMRs showed no cardiac hypertrophy, evidenced by no increase in cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area or LV dimensions with age. Age-associated arterial stiffening does not occur since there are no changes in aortic blood pressures or pulse-wave velocity. Only LV interstitial collagen deposition increased 2.5-fold from young to old NMRs (P < 0.01). However, its effect on LV diastolic function is likely minor since NMRs experience attenuated age-related increases in diastolic dysfunction in comparison with other species. Overall, these findings conform to the negligible senescence phenotype, as NMRs largely stave off cardiovascular changes for at least 75% of their MLSP. This suggests that using a comparative strategy to find factors that change with age in other mammals but not NMRs could provide novel targets to slow or prevent cardiovascular aging in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Grimes
- Department of Physiology and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Aging and Longevity Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Anilkumar K Reddy
- Section of Cardiovascular Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Indus Instruments, Webster, Texas
| | - Merry L Lindsey
- Mississippi Center for Heart Research, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center and Research Service, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
| | - Rochelle Buffenstein
- Department of Physiology and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Aging and Longevity Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas;
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50
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Delaney MA, Nagy L, Kinsel MJ, Treuting PM. Spontaneous histologic lesions of the adult naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber): a retrospective survey of lesions in a zoo population. Vet Pathol 2013; 50:607-21. [PMID: 23355517 DOI: 10.1177/0300985812471543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Naked mole rats (NMRs; Heterocephalus glaber) are highly adapted, subterranean, eusocial rodents from semiarid regions of the eastern horn of Africa and the longest-living rodent known with a maximum life span of up to 30 years. They are a unique model for aging research due to their physiology, extreme longevity, and, when compared to mice and rats, resistance to cancer. Published surveys of disease in NMRs are sparse. Captive colonies in zoological collections provide an opportunity to monitor spontaneous disease over time in a seminatural environment. This retrospective study describes common lesions of a zoo population over a 15-year period during which 138 adult NMRs were submitted for gross and histologic evaluation. Of these, 61 (44.2%) were male, 77 (55.8%) female, 45 (32.6%) died, and 93 (67.4%) were euthanized. The most frequent cause of death or reason for euthanasia was conspecific trauma (bite wounds) and secondary complications. Some common histologic lesions and their prevalence were renal tubular mineralization (82.6%), hepatic hemosiderosis (64.5%), bite wounds (63.8%), chronic progressive nephropathy (52.9%), and calcinosis cutis (10.1%). In sum, 104 (75.4%) NMRs had more than one of the most prevalent histologic lesions. No malignant neoplasms were noted; however, there was a case of renal tubular adenomatous hyperplasia with nuclear atypia and compression that in rats is considered a preneoplastic lesion. This retrospective study confirms the NMR's relative resistance to cancer in spite of development of other degenerative diseases and highlights the utility of zoological databases for baseline pathological data on nontraditional animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Delaney
- University of Illinois Zoological Pathology Program, Loyola University Medical Center Building 101, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
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