1
|
Morris BJ, Donlon TA. Genes That Extend Lifespan May Do So by Mitigating the Increased Risk of Death Posed by Having Hypertension. Am J Hypertens 2023; 36:631-640. [PMID: 37561089 PMCID: PMC10647014 DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpad070] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic factors influence lifespan. In humans, there appears to be a particularly strong genetic effect in those aged ≥ 90 years. An important contribution is nutrient sensing genes which confer cell resilience. METHODS Our research has been investigating the genetic factors by longitudinal studies of American men of Japanese descent living on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. This cohort began as the Honolulu Heart Program in the mid-1960s and most subjects are now deceased. RESULTS We previously discovered various genes containing polymorphisms associated with longevity. In recent investigations of the mechanism involved we found that the longevity genotypes ameliorated the risk of mortality posed by having a cardiometabolic disease (CMD)-most prominently hypertension. For the gene FOXO3 the protective alleles mitigated the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. For the kinase MAP3K5 it was hypertension, CHD and diabetes, for the kinase receptor PIK3R1 hypertension, CHD and stroke, and for the growth hormone receptor gene (GHR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 gene (FLT1), it was nullifying the higher mortality risk posed by hypertension. Subjects with a CMD who had a longevity genotype had similar survival as men without CMD. No variant protected against risk of death from cancer. We have postulated that the longevity-associated genotypes reduced mortality risk by effects on intracellular resilience mechanisms. In a proteomics study, 43 "stress" proteins and associated biological pathways were found to influence the association of FOXO3 genotype with reduced mortality. CONCLUSIONS Our landmark findings indicate how heritable genetic components affect longevity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Morris
- Department of Research, NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817, USA
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Timothy A Donlon
- Department of Research, NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Morris BJ, Chen R, Donlon TA, Kallianpur KJ, Masaki KH, Willcox BJ. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 gene ( FLT1) longevity variant increases lifespan by reducing mortality risk posed by hypertension. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:3967-3983. [PMID: 37178326 PMCID: PMC10257998 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Longevity is written into the genes. While many so-called "longevity genes" have been identified, the reason why particular genetic variants are associated with longer lifespan has proven to be elusive. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the strongest of 3 adjacent longevity-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms - rs3794396 - of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 gene, FLT1, may confer greater lifespan by protecting against mortality risk from one or more adverse medical conditions of aging - namely, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes. In a prospective population-based longitudinal study we followed 3,471 American men of Japanese ancestry living on Oahu, Hawaii, from 1965 until death or to the end of December 2019 by which time 99% had died. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association of FLT1 genotype with longevity for 4 genetic models and the medical conditions. We found that, in major allele recessive and heterozygote disadvantage models, genotype GG ameliorated the risk of mortality posed by hypertension, but not that posed by having CHD, stroke or diabetes. Normotensive subjects lived longest and there was no significant effect of FLT1 genotype on their lifespan. In conclusion, the longevity-associated genotype of FLT1 may confer increased lifespan by protecting against mortality risk posed by hypertension. We suggest that FLT1 expression in individuals with longevity genotype boosts vascular endothelial resilience mechanisms to counteract hypertension-related stress in vital organs and tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian J. Morris
- NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Randi Chen
- NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
| | - Timothy A. Donlon
- NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Pathology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Kalpana J. Kallianpur
- NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Kamal H. Masaki
- NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Bradley J. Willcox
- NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research on Aging, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cahill S, Chandola T, Hager R. Genetic Variants Associated With Resilience in Human and Animal Studies. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:840120. [PMID: 35669264 PMCID: PMC9163442 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.840120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resilience is broadly defined as the ability to maintain or regain functioning in the face of adversity and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The identification of specific genetic factors and their biological pathways underpinning resilient functioning can help in the identification of common key factors, but heterogeneities in the operationalisation of resilience have hampered advances. We conducted a systematic review of genetic variants associated with resilience to enable the identification of general resilience mechanisms. We adopted broad inclusion criteria for the definition of resilience to capture both human and animal model studies, which use a wide range of resilience definitions and measure very different outcomes. Analyzing 158 studies, we found 71 candidate genes associated with resilience. OPRM1 (Opioid receptor mu 1), NPY (neuropeptide Y), CACNA1C (calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C), DCC (deleted in colorectal carcinoma), and FKBP5 (FKBP prolyl isomerase 5) had both animal and human variants associated with resilience, supporting the idea of shared biological pathways. Further, for OPRM1, OXTR (oxytocin receptor), CRHR1 (corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1), COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase), BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), APOE (apolipoprotein E), and SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member 4), the same allele was associated with resilience across divergent resilience definitions, which suggests these genes may therefore provide a starting point for further research examining commonality in resilience pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Cahill
- Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Humanities, Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Tarani Chandola
- Faculty of Humanities, Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Methods Hub, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rowan K. Hawai'i Journal Watch: Highlights of recent research from the University of Hawai'i and the Hawai'i State Department of Health. HAWAI'I JOURNAL OF HEALTH & SOCIAL WELFARE 2021; 80:147. [PMID: 34278320 PMCID: PMC8280360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
|