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Anti-Aging Effects of Antioxidant Revealed

Alpha lipoic acid stimulates telomerase (mouse model).

Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes, protecting the DNA complexes from deterioration during cell division. Telomere shortening is considered a marker of cellular aging, and prematurely shortened telomeres are thought to contribute to atherosclerosis . Wayne Alexander, from Emory University School of Medicine (Georgia, USA), and colleagues  employed  a mouse model of atherosclerosis to research the potential for alpha lipoic acid – a potent antioxidant for which previous studies have suggested anti-inflammatory effects. Previous studies have reported that alpha lipoic acid prompts smooth muscle cells that surround blood vessels to produce PGC1 (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1-alpha (PGC-1[alpha]) – a compound previously known to control how skeletal muscle response to exercise.  In this study, the team observed that alpha lipoic acid appeared to stimulate telomerase – the enzyme that lengthens telomeres.   The study authors highlight: “the importance of PGC-1[alpha] in ameliorating senescence, aging, and associated chronic diseases, and may inform novel therapeutic approaches involving electrophilic specificity.”

Xiong S, Patrushev N, Forouzandeh F, Hilenski L, Alexander RW. “PGC-1[alpha] Modulates Telomere Function and DNA Damage in Protecting against Aging-Related Chronic Diseases.”  Cell Rep. 2015 Aug 19. pii: S2211-1247(15)00825-6.

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