One size may not fit all: anti-aging therapies and sarcopenia

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LC86 mitigates age-related muscle wasting and cognitive impairment in SAMP8 mice through gut microbiota modulation and the regulation of serum inflammatory factors

Purpose

Chronic inflammation contributes to the decline in muscle strength and cognitive abilities associated with aging. This study aims to clarify the effects of oral administration of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LC86 on these age-related declines, as well as its impact on the composition of gut microbiota.

Methods

Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice received a 12 week regimen of LC86 (1 × 109 CFU/day). Muscle strength was assessed through forelimb grip strength and four-limb hanging tests. Cognitive function was evaluated through behavioral performance tests, and changes in gut microbiota were analyzed.

Results

Administration of LC86 significantly enhanced muscle strength, demonstrated by increased grip strength and higher glycogen content in the gastrocnemius muscle (p = 0.041, p = 0.017, and p = 0.000, respectively). Behavioral tests suggested that LC86 mitigated age-related cognitive decline. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 (p = 0.002, p = 0.000, and p = 0.005, respectively), and an elevation in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level (p = 0.000). An increase in hepatic antioxidant capacity was observed. Significant changes in the gut microbiota composition were noted, including increased populations of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and decreased levels of Escherichia/Shigella and Bacteroides.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that LC86 supplementation mitigates muscle weakness and cognitive impairment in aging SAMP8 mice, potentially through the modulation of inflammation and gut microbiota composition. LC86 emerges as a promising candidate for ameliorating the decline of muscular and cognitive functions associated with aging.

Dietary regulation in health and disease

Nutriments have been deemed to impact all physiopathologic processes. Recent evidences in molecular medicine and clinical trials have demonstrated that adequate nutrition treatments are the golden criterion for extending healthspan and delaying ageing in various species such as yeast, drosophila, rodent, primate and human. It emerges to develop the precision-nutrition therapeutics to slow age-related biological processes and treat diverse diseases. However, the nutritive advantages frequently diversify among individuals as well as organs and tissues, which brings challenges in this field. In this review, we summarize the different forms of dietary interventions extensively prescribed for healthspan improvement and disease treatment in pre-clinical or clinical. We discuss the nutrient-mediated mechanisms including metabolic regulators, nutritive metabolism pathways, epigenetic mechanisms and circadian clocks. Comparably, we describe diet-responsive effectors by which dietary interventions influence the endocrinic, immunological, microbial and neural states responsible for improving health and preventing multiple diseases in humans. Furthermore, we expatiate diverse patterns of dietotheroapies, including different fasting, calorie-restricted diet, ketogenic diet, high-fibre diet, plants-based diet, protein restriction diet or diet with specific reduction in amino acids or microelements, potentially affecting the health and morbid states. Altogether, we emphasize the profound nutritional therapy, and highlight the crosstalk among explored mechanisms and critical factors to develop individualized therapeutic approaches and predictors.

Evaluating the beneficial effects of dietary restrictions: A framework for precision nutrigeroscience

Dietary restriction (DR) has long been viewed as the most robust nongenetic means to extend lifespan and healthspan. Many aging-associated mechanisms are nutrient responsive, but despite the ubiquitous functions of these pathways, the benefits of DR often vary among individuals and even among tissues within an individual, challenging the aging research field. Furthermore, it is often assumed that lifespan interventions like DR will also extend healthspan, which is thus often ignored in aging studies. In this review, we provide an overview of DR as an intervention and discuss the mechanisms by which it affects lifespan and various healthspan measures. We also review studies that demonstrate exceptions to the standing paradigm of DR being beneficial, thus raising new questions that future studies must address. We detail critical factors for the proposed field of precision nutrigeroscience, which would utilize individualized treatments and predict outcomes using biomarkers based on genotype, sex, tissue, and age.

Label-free photothermal disruption of cytotoxic aggregates rescues pathology in a C. elegans model of Huntington's disease

Aggregation of proteins is a prominent hallmark of virtually all neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Little progress has been made in their treatment to slow or prevent the formation of aggregates by post-translational modification and regulation of cellular responses to misfolded proteins. Here, we introduce a label-free, laser-based photothermal treatment of polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregates in a C. elegans nematode model of huntingtin-like polyQ aggregation. As a proof of principle, we demonstrated that nanosecond laser pulse-induced local photothermal heating can directly disrupt the aggregates so as to delay their accumulation, maintain motility, and extend the lifespan of treated nematodes. These beneficial effects were validated by confocal photothermal, fluorescence, and video imaging. The results obtained demonstrate that our theranostics platform, integrating photothermal therapy without drugs or other chemicals, combined with advanced imaging to monitor photothermal ablation of aggregates, initiates systemic recovery and thus validates the concept of aggregate-disruption treatments for neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

Utilization of anthropometric parameters as a novel tool for detection of insulin resistance

BACKGROUND

Anthropometric parameters have been widely applied in evaluating muscle mass, insulin resistance (IR), and cardiometabolic diseases. Arm circumference (AC) and calf circumference (CC) are used as informative markers for sarcopenia. However, few studies concern the correlation between AC, CC and IR. The aim of the present survey is to investigate the relationship between AC, CC and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

METHODS

This cross-sectional observational study included 11,527 participants aged 40-85 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999 to 2006. We divided the participants into male and female groups. Each group was then divided into four subgroups depending on their AC and CC levels.

RESULTS

After adjustment for multiple covariates, we observed a significant negative correlation between the CC and HOMA-IR. This study showed a significant positive correlation between the AC and HOMA-IR after multiple adjustments. Subjects in the highest CC quartiles tended to have the lowest HOMA-IR in both male and female group (P for trend <0.001 in all models).

CONCLUSIONS

CC may be a novel tool to guide public health policy and clinical predictor of IR in middle-aged and older people.

Effects of Resistance Exercise and Fermented Soybean Consumption on Glucose Tolerance and Expressions of Immune Senescence-Related Myokines in Middle-Aged Obese Rats

Background

It is important for older adults to prevent sarcopenia, but there are not currently effective methods to maintain or improve skeletal muscle function or immune function in this population. The goal of this study was to observe the effects of a 12-week resistance exercise program with fermented soybean supplementation on glucose tolerance and myokine expression in middle-aged obese rats in regard to body composition and immune senescence.

Methods

Subjects were randomly assigned to four groups: control (CON), soybean (SO), resistance exercise (RE), and soybean plus resistance exercise (SR). Resistance exercise involved ladder climbing, and soybean supplementation comprised 24% of total calories from soybean protein. Obesity was induced with 6 weeks of a high-fat diet, and then the group-specific procedures were conducted for the following 12 weeks.

Results

There were no significant differences between the groups in regard to daily dietary intake and body weight. The SO group had significantly higher intraperitoneal fat levels compared to the CON group (P<0.05), and a significantly lower lean body mass (P<0.05). The glycemic response of the SO group and SR group showed significantly higher improvements compared to the CON group and RE group (P<0.05). The expression of myokines related to immune senescence was significantly lower in the SO group (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Fermented soy beans helped improve glucose tolerance when it was applied with and without resistance exercise, with a significant reduction in the expression of inflammatory factors related to immune senescence in skeletal muscle.

The Effects of Physical Training are Varied and Occur in an Exercise Type-Dependent Manner in Elderly Men

Regular exercise can decrease the deleterious effects of aging and limit the development and progression of chronic disease in elderly people, depending on the type, intensity, frequency, and duration of exercise. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of different physical training programs on oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory and neurotrophic mediators in the serum of elderly men. Healthy male volunteers [60 to 80 years; n=55] were divided into four groups: control [Ctr, n=14], aerobic training on dry land [ATdl, n=12]; and combined training on dry land [CTdl, n=12] or in water [CTw, n=17]. The training protocols were performed over 8 weeks, three times per week. Each 1 h session included 5 min warming-up exercise, 50 min specific training [aerobic, strength, or combined], and 5 min stretching. Blood samples were drawn 72 h before [baseline] the beginning of the 8 weeks’ protocol and 48 h after the last training session, processed, and the serum was aliquoted and stored at -70 °C until biochemical assessment of oxidative damage, antioxidant system and neurotrophic, growth and inflammatory factors. Elevated BDNF or IGF-1 levels were observed in the ATdl or CTdl groups, respectively. Overall oxidative stress parameters were improved including reduced lipid oxidative damage and increased thioredoxin reductase and glutathione peroxidase activities and total glutathione. Significant decreases in the inflammatory mediators IL-6 and IL-8 were observed; IL-6 was more susceptible to the effects of type of physical training. Thus, the effects of training in elderly men vary in an exercise type-dependent manner.

Age-associated NF-κB signaling in myofibers alters the satellite cell niche and re-strains muscle stem cell function

Skeletal muscle is a highly regenerative tissue, but muscle repair potential is increasingly compromised with advancing age. In this study, we demonstrate that increased NF-κB activity in aged muscle fibers contributes to diminished myogenic potential of their associated satellite cells. We further examine the impact of genetic modulation of NF-κB signaling in muscle satellite cells or myofibers on recovery after damage. These studies reveal that NF-κB activity in differentiated myofibers is sufficient to drive dysfunction of muscle regenerative cells via cell-non-autonomous mechanisms. Inhibition of NF-κB, or its downstream target Phospholipase A2, in myofibers rescued muscle regenerative potential in aged muscle. Moreover, systemic administration of sodium salicylate, an FDA-approved NF-κB inhibitor, decreased inflammatory gene expression and improved repair in aged muscle. Together, these studies identify a unique NF-κB regulated, non-cell autonomous mechanism by which stem cell function is linked to lipid signaling and homeostasis, and provide important new targets to stimulate muscle repair in aged individuals.

Gradual downhill running improves age-related skeletal muscle and bone weakness: implication of autophagy and bone morphogenetic proteins

NEW FINDINGS

What is the central question of this study? Exercise training by running has an effect on age-related muscle and bone wasting that improves physical activity and quality of life in the elderly. However, the effect of downhill running on age-related muscle and bone wasting, and its mechanisms, are unclear. What is the main finding and its importance? Gradual downhill running can improve skeletal muscle growth and bone formation by enhancing autophagy and bone morphogenetic protein signalling in aged rats. Therefore, downhill running exercise might be a practical intervention to improve skeletal muscle and bone protection in the elderly. Recent evidence suggests that autophagy and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling pathway regulate skeletal muscle growth and bone formation in aged rats. However, the effect of downhill running on muscle growth and bone formation is not well understood. Thus, we investigated the effect of downhill and uphill running on age-related muscle and bone weakness. Young and late middle-aged rats were randomly assigned to control groups (young, YC; and late middle-aged, LMC) and two types of running training groups (late middle-aged downhill, LMD; and late middle-aged uphill, LMU). Training was progressively carried out on a treadmill at a speed of 21 m min^-1 with a slope of +10 deg for uphill training versus 16 m min^-1 with a slope of -16 deg for downhill training, both for 60 min day^-1 , 5 days week^-1 for 8 weeks. Downhill and uphill training increased autophagy-related protein 5, microtubule-associated protein light chain, Beclin-1 and p62 proteins in aged rats. In addition, superoxide dismutase, haem oxygenase-1 and the BMP signalling pathway were elevated. Phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin and myogenic differentiation were increased significantly in the LMD and LMU groups. Consequently, in the femur, BMP-2, BMP-7 and autophagy molecules were highly expressed in the LMD and LMU groups. These results suggest that both downhill and uphill training appear to have a positive effect on expression of autophagy molecules and BMPs. In particular, these physiological adaptations from gradual downhill exercise have an effect on bone morphological changes and muscle quality similar to gradual uphill training interventions in ageing.

Mechanisms Regulating Neuromuscular Junction Development and Function and Causes of Muscle Wasting

The neuromuscular junction is the chemical synapse between motor neurons and skeletal muscle fibers. It is designed to reliably convert the action potential from the presynaptic motor neuron into the contraction of the postsynaptic muscle fiber. Diseases that affect the neuromuscular junction may cause failure of this conversion and result in loss of ambulation and respiration. The loss of motor input also causes muscle wasting as muscle mass is constantly adapted to contractile needs by the balancing of protein synthesis and protein degradation. Finally, neuromuscular activity and muscle mass have a major impact on metabolic properties of the organisms. This review discusses the mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of the neuromuscular junction, the consequences of and the mechanisms involved in its dysfunction, and its role in maintaining muscle mass during aging. As life expectancy is increasing, loss of muscle mass during aging, called sarcopenia, has emerged as a field of high medical need. Interestingly, aging is also accompanied by structural changes at the neuromuscular junction, suggesting that the mechanisms involved in neuromuscular junction maintenance might be disturbed during aging. In addition, there is now evidence that behavioral paradigms and signaling pathways that are involved in longevity also affect neuromuscular junction stability and sarcopenia.

Age-dependent changes in mitochondrial morphology and volume are not predictors of lifespan

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of skeletal muscle degeneration during aging. One mechanism through which mitochondrial dysfunction can be caused is through changes in mitochondrial morphology. To determine the role of mitochondrial morphology changes in age-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction, we studied mitochondrial morphology in body wall muscles of the nematode C. elegans. We found that in this tissue, animals display a tubular mitochondrial network, which fragments with increasing age. This fragmentation is accompanied by a decrease in mitochondrial volume. Mitochondrial fragmentation and volume loss occur faster under conditions that shorten lifespan and occur slower under conditions that increase lifespan. However, neither mitochondrial morphology nor mitochondrial volume of five- and seven-day old wild-type animals can be used to predict individual lifespan. Our results indicate that while mitochondria in body wall muscles undergo age-dependent fragmentation and a loss in volume, these changes are not the cause of aging but rather a consequence of the aging process.

Antioxidant SkQ1 delays sarcopenia-associated damage of mitochondrial ultrastructure

A comparative electron-microscopic study of ultrastructure of mitochondria in skeletal muscles of the 3- and 24-month-old Wistar and OXYS rats revealed age-dependent changes in both general organization of the mitochondrial reticulum and ultrastructure of mitochondria. The most pronounced ultrastructure changes were detected in the OXYS rats suffering from permanent oxidative stress. In the OXYS rats, significant changes in mitochondrial ultrastructure were detected already at the age of 3 months. Among them, there were the appearance of megamitochondria and reduction of cristae resulting in formation of cristae-free regions inside mitochondria. In the 24-month-old OXYS rats, mitochondrial reticulum was completely destroyed. In the isotropic region of muscle fiber, only small solitary mitochondria were present. There appeared regions of lysed myofibrils as well as vast regions filled with autophagosomes. A mitochondrial antioxidant SkQ1 (given to rats with food daily in the dose of 250 nmol/kg of body weight for 5 months beginning from the age of 19 months) prevented development of age-dependent destructive changes in both the Wistar and OXYS rats.

Losartan improves measures of activity, inflammation, and oxidative stress in older mice

Sarcopenia is an age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function that is multifactorial in etiology. Age-related changes in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), increased oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation likely all contribute to its development. Losartan, an angiotensin II type I receptor blocker (ARB) decreases RAS activity and likely influences oxidative stress and inflammation. Given this, we hypothesized that losartan would improve activity levels and parameters related to inflammation and oxidative stress in older mice. We sought to test this hypothesis by comparing functional and molecular parameters between 18-month-old C57BL/6 mice treated with 50-70 mg/kg/day of losartan over a 4 month-period and age- and gender-matched mice receiving placebo. Losartan treatment significantly improved several activity measurements during treatment period compared to placebo controlled group, including increased time on treadmill, traveling activity, standing activity, and decreased grid contacts (p-values<0.05, 0.001, 0.01; and 0.04 respectively). Grip strength did not improve in treatment group relative to control group over time. Serum IL-6 level in the treated group was significantly lower than that in the control group at the end of treatment (30.3±12.9 vs. 173.0±59.5pg/ml, p<0.04), and mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes catalase (3.9±0.9 vs. 1.0±0.4) and glutathione peroxidase (4.7±1.1 vs. 1.0±0.4) was significantly higher (p-value: 0.02, and 0.03 respectively) in quadriceps muscle after 4 months of treatment in treated and control groups. These results support the hypothesis that chronic losartan treatment improves skeletal muscle related activity measures in older mice, and that it is associated with more favorable relevant biological profiles in the treatment group. Additional studies are needed to 1) further quantify this functional improvement, 2) further identify mechanisms that influence this improvement, and 3) provide additional rationale for translating these findings into older adults.

Protein thiol oxidation does not change in skeletal muscles of aging female mice

Oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species is proposed to cause age related muscle wasting (sarcopenia). Reversible oxidation of protein thiols by reactive oxygen species can affect protein function, so we evaluated whether muscle wasting in normal aging was associated with a pervasive increase in reversible oxidation of protein thiols or with an increase in irreversible oxidative damage to macromolecules. In gastrocnemius muscles of C57BL/6J female mice aged 3, 15, 24, 27, and 29 months there was no age related increase in protein thiol oxidation. In contrast, there was a significant correlation (R (2) = 0.698) between increasing protein carbonylation, a measure of irreversible oxidative damage to proteins, and loss of mass of gastrocnemius muscles in aging female mice. In addition, there was an age-related increase in lipofuscin content, an aggregate of oxidised proteins and lipids, in quadriceps limb muscles in aging female mice. However, there was no evidence of an age-related increase in malondialdehyde or F2-isoprostanes levels, which are measures of oxidative damage to lipids, in gastrocnemius muscles. In summary, this study does not support the hypothesis that a pervasive increase in protein thiol oxidation is a contributing factor to sarcopenia. Instead, the data are consistent with an aging theory which proposes that molecular damage to macromolecules leads to the structural and functional disorders associated with aging.

Loss of SPARC in mouse skeletal muscle causes myofiber atrophy

INTRODUCTION

The expression of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) in skeletal muscle decreases with age. Here, we examined the role of SPARC in skeletal muscle by reducing its expression.

METHODS

SPARC expression was suppressed by introducing short interfering RNA (siRNA) into mouse tibialis anterior muscle. Myofiber diameter, atrogin1, and muscle RING-finger protein 1 (MuRF1) expression, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling were then analyzed.

RESULTS

Reduced SPARC expression caused decreases in the diameter of myofibers, especially fast-type ones, accompanied by upregulation of atrogin1, but not MuRF1, at 10 days after siRNA transfection. The expression of TNFα and TGFβ and the phosphorylation status of p38 were not affected by SPARC knockdown, whereas Smad3 phosphorylation was increased at 2 days after siRNA transfection.

CONCLUSIONS

The loss of SPARC not only upregulates atrogin1 expression but also enhances TGFβ signaling, which may in turn cause muscle atrophy.

Effect of Colla corii asini (E'jiao) on D-galactose induced aging mice

Colla corii asini (E'jiao), donkey-hide gelatin prepared by stewing and concentrating from Equus asinus L. donkey hide, is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation widely used in clinical hematic antanemic therapy in China. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential anti-aging effect of Colla corii asini and explore related mechanisms in D-galactose (gal) induced aging model mice. The mice were artificially induced aging by subcutaneously injection with D-gal at the dose of 100 mg/kg·d for 8 weeks. Colla corii asini was simultaneously treated to them once daily by intragastric gavage. Appetite, mental condition, body weight, and organ index were observed. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum, brain, and liver were determined by according assay kits. Western blotting analysis was used to detect p16 and p21 expression. Results indicated that Colla corii asini could improve appetite, mental condition, body weight, and organ condition of model mice, improve SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities, reduce MDA levels, and modulate age-related genes expression in D-gal induced mice. Therefore, Colla corii asini may have effect to suppress the aging process through enhancing antioxidant activity, scavenging free radicals, and modulating aging-related gene expression.

The mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 but not N-acetylcysteine reverses aging-related biomarkers in rats

Although antioxidants have been repeatedly tested in animal models and clinical studies, there is no evidence that antioxidants reduce already developed age-related decline. Recently we demonstrated that mitochondria-targeted antioxidant 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) delayed some manifestations of aging. Here we compared effects of SkQ1 and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) on age-dependent decline in blood levels of leukocytes, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in Wistar and senescence-accelerated OXYS rats. When started late in life, supplementation with SkQ1 not only prevented age-related decline but also significantly reversed it. With NAC, all the observed effects were of the lower magnitude compared with SkQ1 (in spite of that dose of NAC was 16000 times higher). We suggest that supplementation with low doses of SkQ1 is a promising intervention to achieve a healthy ageing.

Chronic resistance training activates autophagy and reduces apoptosis of muscle cells by modulating IGF-1 and its receptors, Akt/mTOR and Akt/FOXO3a signaling in aged rats

Resistance exercise training (RET) remains the most effective treatment for the loss of muscle mass and strength in elderly people. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Recent evidence suggests that autophagic signaling is altered in aged skeletal muscles. This study aimed to investigate if RET affects IGF-1 and its receptors, the Akt/mTOR, and Akt/FOXO3a signaling pathways and regulates autophagy and apoptosis in the gastrocnemius muscles of 18-20 month old rats. The results showed that 9 weeks of RET prevented the loss of muscle mass and improved muscle strength, accompanied by reduced LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, reduced p62 protein levels, and increased levels of autophagy regulatory proteins, including Beclin 1, Atg5/12, Atg7, and the lysosomal enzyme cathepsin L. RET also reduced cytochrome c level in the cytosol but increased its level in mitochondrial fraction, and inhibited cleaved caspase 3 production and apoptosis. Furthermore, RET upregulated the expression of IGF-1 and its receptors but downregulated the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR. In addition, RET upregulated the expression of total AMPK, phosphorylated AMPK, and FOXO3a. Taken together, these results suggest that the benefits of RET are associated with increased autophagy activity and reduced apoptosis of muscle cells by modulating IGF-1 and its receptors, the Akt/mTOR and Akt/FOXO3a signaling pathways in aged skeletal muscles.

Sarcopenia, obesity, and natural killer cell immune senescence in aging: altered cytokine levels as a common mechanism

Human aging is characterized by both physical and physiological frailty. A key feature of frailty, sarcopenia is the age-associated decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and endurance that characterize even the healthy elderly. Increases in adiposity, particularly in visceral adipose tissue, are almost universal in aging individuals and can contribute to sarcopenia and insulin resistance by increasing levels of inflammatory cytokines known collectively as adipokines. Aging also is associated with declines in adaptive and innate immunity, known as immune senescence, which are risk factors for cancer and all-cause mortality. The cytokine interleukin-15 (IL-15) is highly expressed in skeletal muscle tissue and declines in aging rodent models. IL-15 inhibits fat deposition and insulin resistance, is anabolic for skeletal muscle in certain situations, and is required for the development and survival of natural killer (NK) lymphocytes. We review the effect that adipokines and myokines have on NK cells, with special emphasis on IL-15. We posit that increased adipokine and decreased IL-15 levels during aging constitute a common mechanism for sarcopenia, obesity, and immune senescence.

Xenohormetic and anti-aging activity of secoiridoid polyphenols present in extra virgin olive oil: a new family of gerosuppressant agents

Aging can be viewed as a quasi-programmed phenomenon driven by the overactivation of the nutrient-sensing mTOR gerogene. mTOR-driven aging can be triggered or accelerated by a decline or loss of responsiveness to activation of the energy-sensing protein AMPK, a critical gerosuppressor of mTOR. The occurrence of age-related diseases, therefore, reflects the synergistic interaction between our evolutionary path to sedentarism, which chronically increases a number of mTOR activating gero-promoters (e.g., food, growth factors, cytokines and insulin) and the "defective design" of central metabolic integrators such as mTOR and AMPK. Our laboratories at the Bioactive Food Component Platform in Spain have initiated a systematic approach to molecularly elucidate and clinically explore whether the "xenohormesis hypothesis," which states that stress-induced synthesis of plant polyphenols and many other phytochemicals provides an environmental chemical signature that upregulates stress-resistance pathways in plant consumers, can be explained in terms of the reactivity of the AMPK/mTOR-axis to so-called xenohormetins. Here, we explore the AMPK/mTOR-xenohormetic nature of complex polyphenols naturally present in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a pivotal component of the Mediterranean style diet that has been repeatedly associated with a reduction in age-related morbid conditions and longer life expectancy. Using crude EVOO phenolic extracts highly enriched in the secoiridoids oleuropein aglycon and decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycon, we show for the first time that (1) the anticancer activity of EVOO secoiridoids is related to the activation of anti-aging/cellular stress-like gene signatures, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response, spermidine and polyamine metabolism, sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) and NRF2 signaling; (2) EVOO secoiridoids activate AMPK and suppress crucial genes involved in the Warburg effect and the self-renewal capacity of "immortal" cancer stem cells; (3) EVOO secoiridoids prevent age-related changes in the cell size, morphological heterogeneity, arrayed cell arrangement and senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining of normal diploid human fibroblasts at the end of their proliferative lifespans. EVOO secoiridoids, which provide an effective defense against plant attack by herbivores and pathogens, are bona fide xenohormetins that are able to activate the gerosuppressor AMPK and trigger numerous resveratrol-like anti-aging transcriptomic signatures. As such, EVOO secoiridoids constitute a new family of plant-produced gerosuppressant agents that molecularly "repair" the aimless (and harmful) AMPK/mTOR-driven quasi-program that leads to aging and aging-related diseases, including cancer.