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Nutritional modulation of aging in nonhuman primates.
M A Lane1, D K Ingram, G S Roth
1Intramural Research Program, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. MLANE@vms.grc.nia.nih.gov
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging
|July 8, 2000
Summary
Caloric restriction (CR) in nonhuman primates shows physiological responses similar to rodents, suggesting potential lifespan extension and slowed aging in humans. Further research is ongoing to confirm these aging and disease retardation effects.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Comparative Biology
Background:
- Caloric restriction (CR), defined as undernutrition without malnutrition, is the only experimental paradigm consistently shown to extend lifespan and slow aging in short-lived species.
- Decades of research, primarily in rodents, demonstrate CR's ability to extend lifespan, delay age-related diseases, and slow physiological aging.
- Key unanswered questions in gerontology concern the relevance of CR to human aging and the underlying biological mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relevance of caloric restriction (CR) to human aging by studying its effects in nonhuman primates.
- To explore the potential metabolic mechanisms underlying the diverse effects of CR that lead to aging retardation and disease delay.
- To assess the long-term effects of CR on aging and lifespan in a primate model.
Main Methods:
- Initiation of CR studies in nonhuman primates by the National Institute on Aging starting in the late 1980s.
- A complementary CR study at the University of Wisconsin Madison initiated in the early 1990s.
- Comparative analysis of physiological responses and aging markers between CR and control groups in primates.
Main Results:
- Emerging data indicate that physiological responses to CR in monkeys parallel findings extensively reported in rodents.
- Studies have provided significant data on the effects of CR in primates over more than a decade.
- While lifespan data are pending, the consistency with rodent studies strengthens the hypothesis of CR-induced lifespan extension in primates.
Conclusions:
- Caloric restriction in nonhuman primates yields physiological outcomes consistent with those observed in rodent models.
- These findings support the potential for CR to extend lifespan and slow aging processes in primates, including humans.
- Ongoing primate studies are crucial for understanding the mechanisms and confirming the translational relevance of CR for human aging.