ScienceDaily (June 30, 2008) — Scientists in Spain and Italy have identified a group of proteins in laboratory rats that could help explain two enduring medical mysteries — why women live longer than men and why calorie restriction stands as the only proven method of extending longevity.

Their study, which could help scientists understand the biochemical underpinnings of aging, is scheduled for the July 3 issue of ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research.

In the study, Adamo Valle and colleagues point out that women, on average, live years longer than men. Previous studies also have shown that diets extremely low in calories consistently increase maximum life spans in a wide range of animals. Scientists have speculated that the explanation may involve hormones, stress, cardiovascular protection and other factors.

Using lab rats as stand-ins for humans, the researchers found that the livers of both female rats and calorie-restricted rats produced different levels of 27 proteins than male rats or those on a normal diet.

The findings suggest that a previously unrecognized set of cellular pathways may be involved in the longevity boost from being female and eating a sparse diet, the study says, suggesting that these insights could lead to new ways of boosting human longevity.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

1. Valle, Adamo, Silvestri, Elena, Moreno, Maria, Chambery, Angela, Oliver, Jordi, Roca, Pilar, and Goglia, Fernando. Combined Effect of Gender and Caloric Restriction on Liver Proteomic Expression Profile. J. Proteome Res., 2008 DOI: 10.1021/pr800086t

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Related Stories

How Calorie-Restricted Diets Fight Obesity and Extend Life Span (Dec. 29, 2009) — Scientists searching for the secrets of how calorie-restricted diets increase longevity are reporting discovery of proteins in the fat cells of human volunteers that change as pounds drop off. The ...  > read more

Eat Less, Live Longer? Gene Links Calorie Restriction To Longevity (May 2, 2007) — In studies going back to the 1930s, mice and many other species subsisting on a severely calorie-restricted diet have consistently outlived their well-fed peers by as much as 40 percent. But just how ...  > read more

Link Between Sirtuins and Life Extension Strengthened (Dec. 15, 2009) — New research strengthens the link between longevity proteins called sirtuins and the lifespan-extending effects of calorie ...  > read more

Differences Between People And Animals On Calorie Restriction (Sep. 26, 2008) — Calorie restriction, a diet that is low in calories and high in nutrition, may not be as effective at extending life in people as it is in rodents, according to ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily