Anti-diabetic
drug slows aging and lengthens lifespan, animal study suggests
A study by Belgian
doctoral researcher Wouter De Haes (KU Leuven) and colleagues provides new
evidence that metformin, the world's most widely used anti-diabetic drug, slows
aging and increases lifespan.
In experiments reported
in the journal Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers tease out the mechanism
behind metformin's age-slowing effects: the drug causes an increase in the
number of toxic oxygen molecules released in the cell and this, surprisingly,
increases cell robustness and longevity in the long term.
While these molecules
are harmful because they can damage proteins and DNA and disrupt normal cell
functioning, a small dose can actually do the cell good, say the researchers:
"As long as the amount of harmful oxygen molecules released in the cell
remains small, it has a positive long-term effect on the cell. Cells use the
reactive oxygen particles to their advantage before they can do any
damage," explains Wouter De Haes. "Metformin causes a slight increase
in the number of harmful oxygen molecules. We found that this makes cells
stronger and extends their healthy lifespan."
It was long thought
that harmful reactive oxygen molecules were the very cause of aging. The food
and cosmetics industries are quick to emphasize the 'anti-aging' qualities of
products containing antioxidants, such as skin creams, fruit and vegetable
juices, red wine and dark chocolate.
But while antioxidants
do in fact neutralize harmful reactive oxygen molecules in the cell, they
actually negate metformin's anti-aging effects because the drug relies entirely
on these molecules to work.
The researchers studied
metformin's mechanism in the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis
elegans, an ideal species for studying aging because it has a lifespan of
only three weeks. "As they age, the worms get smaller, wrinkle up and become
less mobile. But worms treated with metformin show very limited size loss and
no wrinkling. They not only age slower, but they also stay healthier
longer," says Wouter De Haes. "While we should be careful not to
over-extrapolate our findings to humans, the study is promising as a foundation
for future research."
Other studies in humans
have shown that metformin suppresses some cancers and heart disease. Metformin
could even be an effective drug for counteracting the general effects of aging,
say the researchers.
The study was carried
out by Wouter De Haes under the supervision of Liesbet Temmerman and Professor
Liliane Schoofs (KU Leuven) and in close collaboration with Professor Bart
Braeckman (Ghent University).
Story Source:
The above story is
based on materials provided by KU Leuven. Note: Materials may be edited for
content and length.
Journal
Reference:
1.
Wouter De Haes, Lotte Frooninckx, Roel Van Assche, Arne
Smolders, Geert Depuydt, Johan Billen, Bart P. Braeckman, Liliane Schoofs, and
Liesbet Temmerman. Metformin
promotes lifespan through mitohormesis via the peroxiredoxin PRDX-2. PNAS, 2014 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1321776111
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KU Leuven.
"Anti-diabetic drug slows aging and lengthens lifespan, animal study
suggests." Science Daily,
2 June 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140602150724.htm>.