The mammalian target of rapamycin modulates the immunoproteasome system in the heart.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an important role in cardiac development and function. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin has been shown to attenuate pathological cardiac hypertrophy and improve the function of aging heart, accompanied by an inhibition of the cardiac proteasome activity. The current study aimed to determine the potential mechanism(s) by which mTOR inhibition modulates cardiac proteasome. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin was found to reduce primarily the immunoproteasome in both H9c2 cells in vitro and mouse heart in vivo, without significant effect on the constitutive proteasome and protein ubiquitination. Concurrent with the reduction of the immunoproteasome, rapamycin reduced two important inflammatory response pathways, the NF-κB and Stat3 signaling. In addition, rapamycin attenuated the induction of the immunoproteasome in H9c2 cells by inflammatory cytokines, including INFγ and TNFα, by suppressing NF-κB signaling. These data indicate that rapamycin indirectly modulated immunoproteasome through the suppression of inflammatory response pathways. Lastly, the role of the immunoproteasome during the development of cardiac hypertrophy was investigated. Administration of a specific inhibitor of the immunoproteasome ONX 0914 attenuated isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy, suggesting that the immunoproteasome may be involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and therefore could be a therapeutic target. In conclusion, rapamycin inhibits the immunoproteasome through its effect on the inflammatory signaling pathways and the immunoproteasome could be a potential therapeutic target for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Regulation of motor function and behavior by atypical chemokine receptor 1.

Atypical Chemokine Receptor 1 (ACKR1), previously known as Duffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokines, stands out among chemokine receptors for high selective expression on cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Although ACKR1 ligands activate Purkinje cells in vitro, evidence for ACKR1 regulation of brain function in vivo is lacking. Here we demonstrate that Ackr1 (-/-) mice have markedly impaired balance and ataxia on a rotating rod and increased tremor when injected with harmaline, which induces whole-body tremor by activating Purkinje cells. Ackr1 (-/-) mice also exhibited impaired exploratory behavior, increased anxiety-like behavior and frequent episodes of marked hypoactivity under low-stress conditions. Surprisingly, Ackr1 (+/-) had similar behavioral abnormalities, indicating pronounced haploinsufficiency. The behavioral phenotype of Ackr1 (-/-) mice was the opposite of mouse models of cerebellar degeneration, and the defects persisted when Ackr1 was deficient only on non-hematopoietic cells. Together, the results suggest that normal motor function and behavior may partly depend on negative regulation of Purkinje cell activity by Ackr1.

Central giant-cell granuloma in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1: 7 years of follow-up.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomally dominant tumor suppressor syndrome and multisystem disease. Central giant-cell granulomas (CGCGs) can be seen in patients with NF1. A 21-year-old female was diagnosed with two CGCGs, one in the mandible and then one in the maxilla, in a 7-year period. Increased incidence of CGCGs in NF1 patients was thought to be caused by an underlying susceptibility to developing CGCG-like lesions in qualitatively abnormal bone, such as fibrous dysplasia. However, germline and somatic truncating second-hit mutations in the NF1 gene have been detected in NF1 patients with CGCGs, validating that they are NF1-associated lesions. Oral manifestations in patients with NF1 are very common. Knowledge of these manifestations and the genetic link between NF1 and CGCGs will enhance early detection and enable optimal patient care.

Prepubertal castration eliminates sex differences in lifespan and growth trajectories in genetically heterogeneous mice.

Sex differences in aging and longevity have been widely observed, with females consistently outliving males across human populations. However, the mechanisms driving these disparities remain poorly understood. In this study, we explored the influence of post-pubertal testicular effects on sex differences in aging by prepubertally castrating genetically heterogeneous (UM-HET3) mice, a unique mouse model that emulates human sex differences in age-related mortality. Prepubertal castration eliminated the longevity disparity between sexes by reducing the elevated early- to mid-life mortality rate observed in males and extending their median lifespan to match that of females. Additionally, castration extended the duration of body weight growth and attenuated the inverse correlation between early-age body weight and lifespan in males, aligning their growth trajectories with those of females. Our findings suggest that post-pubertal testicular actions in genetically diverse mice are primarily responsible for sex differences in longevity as well as growth trajectories. These findings offer a foundation for further investigation into the fundamental mechanisms driving sex-specific aging patterns and the development of potential pro-longevity interventions.

Lifespan benefits for the combination of rapamycin plus acarbose and for captopril in genetically heterogeneous mice.

Mice bred in 2017 and entered into the C2017 cohort were tested for possible lifespan benefits of (R/S)-1,3-butanediol (BD), captopril (Capt), leucine (Leu), the Nrf2-activating botanical mixture PB125, sulindac, syringaresinol, or the combination of rapamycin and acarbose started at 9 or 16 months of age (RaAc9, RaAc16). In male mice, the combination of Rapa and Aca started at 9 months and led to a longer lifespan than in either of the two prior cohorts of mice treated with Rapa only, suggesting that this drug combination was more potent than either of its components used alone. In females, lifespan in mice receiving both drugs was neither higher nor lower than that seen previously in Rapa only, perhaps reflecting the limited survival benefits seen in prior cohorts of females receiving Aca alone. Capt led to a significant, though small (4% or 5%), increase in female lifespan. Capt also showed some possible benefits in male mice, but the interpretation was complicated by the unusually low survival of controls at one of the three test sites. BD seemed to produce a small (2%) increase in females, but only if the analysis included data from the site with unusually short-lived controls. None of the other 4 tested agents led to any lifespan benefit. The C2017 ITP dataset shows that combinations of anti-aging drugs may have effects that surpass the benefits produced by either drug used alone, and that additional studies of captopril, over a wider range of doses, are likely to be rewarding.

Canagliflozin extends life span in genetically heterogeneous male but not female mice.

Canagliflozin (Cana) is an FDA-approved diabetes drug that protects against cardiovascular and kidney diseases. It also inhibits the sodium glucose transporter 2 by blocking renal reuptake and intestinal absorption of glucose. In the context of the mouse Interventions Testing Program, genetically heterogeneous mice were given chow containing Cana at 180 ppm at 7 months of age until their death. Cana extended median survival of male mice by 14%. Cana also increased by 9% the age for 90th percentile survival, with parallel effects seen at each of 3 test sites. Neither the distribution of inferred cause of death nor incidental pathology findings at end-of-life necropsies were altered by Cana. Moreover, although no life span benefits were seen in female mice, Cana led to lower fasting glucose and improved glucose tolerance in both sexes, diminishing fat mass in females only. Therefore, the life span benefit of Cana is likely to reflect blunting of peak glucose levels, because similar longevity effects are seen in male mice given acarbose, a diabetes drug that blocks glucose surges through a distinct mechanism, i.e., slowing breakdown of carbohydrate in the intestine. Interventions that control daily peak glucose levels deserve attention as possible preventive medicines to protect from a wide range of late-life neoplastic and degenerative diseases.

Hyperadrenocorticism of calorie restriction contributes to its anti-inflammatory action in mice.

Calorie restriction (CR), which lengthens lifespan in many species, is associated with moderate hyperadrenocorticism and attenuated inflammation. Given the anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids, we tested the hypothesis that the hyperadrenocorticism of CR contributes to its attenuated inflammatory response. We used a corticotropin-releasing-hormone knockout (CRHKO) mouse, which is glucocorticoid insufficient. There were four controls groups: CRHKO mice and wild-type (WT) littermates fed either ad libitum (AL) or CR (60% of AL food intake), and three experimental groups: (a) AL-fed CRHKO mice given corticosterone (CORT) in their drinking water titrated to match the integrated 24-hr plasma CORT levels of AL-fed WT mice, (b) CR-fed CRHKO mice given CORT to match the 24-hr CORT levels of AL-fed WT mice, and (c) CR-fed CHRKO mice given CORT to match the 24-hr CORT levels of CR-fed WT mice. Inflammation was measured volumetrically as footpad edema induced by carrageenan injection. As previously observed, CR attenuated footpad edema in WT mice. This attenuation was significantly blocked in CORT-deficient CR-fed CRHKO mice. Replacement of CORT in CR-fed CRHKO mice to the elevated levels observed in CR-fed WT mice, but not to the levels observed in AL-fed WT mice, restored the anti-inflammatory effect of CR. These results indicate that the hyperadrenocorticism of CR contributes to the anti-inflammatory action of CR, which may in turn contribute to its life-extending actions.

Effect of Ames dwarfism and caloric restriction on spontaneous DNA mutation frequency in different mouse tissues.

Genetic instability has been implicated as a causal factor in cancer and aging. Caloric restriction (CR) and suppression of the somatotroph axis significantly increase life span in the mouse and reduce multiple symptoms of aging, including cancer. To test if in vivo spontaneous mutation frequency is reduced by such mechanisms, we crossed long-lived Ames dwarf mice with a C57BL/6J line harboring multiple copies of the lacZ mutation reporter gene as part of a plasmid that can be recovered from tissues and organs into Escherichia coli to measure mutant frequencies. Four cohorts were studied: (1) ad lib wild-type; (2) CR wild-type; (3) ad lib dwarf; and (4) CR dwarf. While both CR wild-type and ad lib dwarf mice lived significantly longer than the ad lib wild-type mice, under CR conditions dwarf mice did not live any longer than ad lib wild-type mice. While this may be due to an as yet unknown adverse effect of the C57BL/6J background, it did not prevent an effect on spontaneous mutation frequencies at the lacZ locus, which were assessed in liver, kidney and small intestine of 7- and 15-month-old mice of all four cohorts. A lower mutant frequency in the ad lib dwarf background was observed in liver and kidney at 7 and 15 months of age and in small intestine at 15 months of age as compared to the ad lib wild-type. CR also significantly reduced spontaneous mutant frequency in kidney and small intestine, but not in liver. In a separate cohort of lacZ-C57BL/6J mice CR was also found to significantly reduce spontaneous mutant frequency in liver and small intestine, across three age levels. These results indicate that two major pro-longevity interventions in the mouse are associated with a reduced mutation frequency. This could be responsible, at least in part, for the enhanced longevity associated with Ames dwarfism and CR.

Hydrogen sulfide ameliorates aging-associated changes in the kidney.

Aging is associated with replacement of normal kidney parenchyma by fibrosis. Because hydrogen sulfide (H2S) ameliorates kidney fibrosis in disease models, we examined its status in the aging kidney. In the first study, we examined kidney cortical H2S metabolism and signaling pathways related to synthesis of proteins including matrix proteins in young and old male C57BL/6 mice. In old mice, increase in renal cortical content of matrix protein involved in fibrosis was associated with decreased H2S generation and AMPK activity, and activation of insulin receptor (IR)/IRS-2-Akt-mTORC1-mRNA translation signaling axis that can lead to increase in protein synthesis. In the second study, we randomized 18-19 month-old male C57BL/6 mice to receive 30 µmol/L sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) in drinking water vs. water alone (control) for 5 months. Administration of NaHS increased plasma free sulfide levels. NaHS inhibited the increase in kidney cortical content of matrix proteins involved in fibrosis and ameliorated glomerulosclerosis. NaHS restored AMPK activity and inhibited activation of IR/IRS-2-Akt-mTORC1-mRNA translation axis. NaHS inhibited age-related increase in kidney cortical content of p21, IL-1ß, and IL-6, components of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. NaHS abolished increase in urinary albumin excretion seen in control mice and reduced serum cystatin C levels suggesting improved glomerular clearance function. We conclude that aging-induced changes in the kidney are associated with H2S deficiency. Administration of H2S ameliorates aging-induced kidney changes probably by inhibiting signaling pathways leading to matrix protein synthesis.

Lifelong reduction in complex IV induces tissue-specific metabolic effects but does not reduce lifespan or healthspan in mice.

Loss of SURF1, a Complex IV assembly protein, was reported to increase lifespan in mice despite dramatically lower cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity. Consistent with this, our previous studies found advantageous changes in metabolism (reduced adiposity, increased insulin sensitivity, and mitochondrial biogenesis) in Surf1-/- mice. The lack of deleterious phenotypes in Surf1-/- mice is contrary to the hypothesis that mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to aging. We found only a modest (nonsignificant) extension of lifespan (7% median, 16% maximum) and no change in healthspan indices in Surf1-/- vs. Surf1+/+ mice despite substantial decreases in COX activity (22%-87% across tissues). Dietary restriction (DR) increased median lifespan in both Surf1+/+ and Surf1-/- mice (36% and 19%, respectively). We measured gene expression, metabolites, and targeted expression of key metabolic proteins in adipose tissue, liver, and brain in Surf1+/+ and Surf1-/- mice. Gene expression was differentially regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Many proteins and metabolites are downregulated in Surf1-/- adipose tissue and reversed by DR, while in brain, most metabolites that changed were elevated in Surf1-/- mice. Finally, mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt )-associated proteins were not uniformly altered by age or genotype, suggesting the UPRmt is not a key player in aging or in response to reduced COX activity. While the changes in gene expression and metabolism may represent compensatory responses to mitochondrial stress, the important outcome of this study is that lifespan and healthspan are not compromised in Surf1-/- mice, suggesting that not all mitochondrial deficiencies are a critical determinant of lifespan.

Hyperpolarized [1-13C]-Pyruvate Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging of Prostate Cancer In Vivo Predicts Efficacy of Targeting the Warburg Effect.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of hyperpolarized [1-13C]-pyruvate magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of prostate cancer as a predictive biomarker for targeting the Warburg effect.Experimental Design: Two human prostate cancer cell lines (DU145 and PC3) were grown as xenografts. The conversion of pyruvate to lactate in xenografts was measured with hyperpolarized [1-13C]-pyruvate MRSI after systemic delivery of [1-13C] pyruvic acid. Steady-state metabolomic analysis of xenograft tumors was performed with mass spectrometry and steady-state lactate concentrations were measured with proton (1H) MRS. Perfusion and oxygenation of xenografts were measured with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging with OX063. Tumor growth was assessed after lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) inhibition with FX-11 (42 µg/mouse/day for 5 days × 2 weekly cycles). Lactate production, pyruvate uptake, extracellular acidification rates, and oxygen consumption of the prostate cancer cell lines were analyzed in vitro LDH activity was assessed in tumor homogenates.Results: DU145 tumors demonstrated an enhanced conversion of pyruvate to lactate with hyperpolarized [1-13C]-pyruvate MRSI compared with PC3 and a corresponding greater sensitivity to LDH inhibition. No difference was observed between PC3 and DU145 xenografts in steady-state measures of pyruvate fermentation, oxygenation, or perfusion. The two cell lines exhibited similar sensitivity to FX-11 in vitro LDH activity correlated to FX-11 sensitivity.Conclusions: Hyperpolarized [1-13C]-pyruvate MRSI of prostate cancer predicts efficacy of targeting the Warburg effect. Clin Cancer Res; 24(13); 3137-48. ©2018 AACR.

Moderate lifelong overexpression of tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) improves health and survival in mice.

The tuberous sclerosis complex 1/2 (TSC1/2) is an endogenous regulator of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). While mTOR has been shown to play an important role in health and aging, the role of TSC1/2 in aging has not been fully investigated. In the current study, a constitutive TSC1 transgenic (Tsc1 tg ) mouse model was generated and characterized. mTORC1 signaling was reduced in majority of the tissues, except the brain. In contrast, mTORC2 signaling was enhanced in Tsc1 tg mice. Tsc1 tg mice are more tolerant to exhaustive exercises and less susceptible to isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy at both young and advanced ages. Tsc1 tg mice have less fibrosis and inflammation in aged as well as isoproterenol-challenged heart than age-matched wild type mice. The female Tsc1 tg mice exhibit a higher fat to lean mass ratio at advanced ages than age-matched wild type mice. More importantly, the lifespan increased significantly in female Tsc1 tg mice, but not in male Tsc1 tg mice. Collectively, our data demonstrated that moderate increase of TSC1 expression can enhance overall health, particularly cardiovascular health, and improve survival in a gender-specific manner.

Rapamycin Increases Mortality in db/db Mice, a Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes.

We examined the effect of rapamycin on the life span of a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, db/db mice. At 4 months of age, male and female C57BLKSJ-lepr (db/db) mice (db/db) were placed on either a control diet, lacking rapamycin or a diet containing rapamycin and maintained on these diets over their life span. Rapamycin was found to reduce the life span of the db/db mice. The median survival of male db/db mice fed the control and rapamycin diets was 349 and 302 days, respectively, and the median survival of female db/db mice fed the control and rapamycin diets was 487 and 411 days, respectively. Adjusting for gender differences, rapamycin increased the mortality risk 1.7-fold in both male and female db/db mice. End-of-life pathological data showed that suppurative inflammation was the main cause of death in the db/db mice, which is enhanced slightly by rapamycin treatment.

Housing density does not influence the longevity effect of calorie restriction.

This study examined the effect of housing density on the longevity-extending and disease-delaying actions of calorie restriction (CR). Singly or multiply housed (four per cage) mice were either fed ad libitum (AL) or were on CR beginning at 2 months. All CR mice were fed 40% less food than were multiply housed AL mice. CR increased median longevity by 19%, and housing density had no effect on this increase. CR also reduced neoplastic lesions in both housing groups, but lymphoma, the most common neoplasm, was reduced more in singly than in multiply housed mice. Singly housed AL mice ate 40% more food than did multiply housed AL mice, but weighed the same and lived as long as multiply housed AL mice. These results indicate that CR can extend life span as effectively in multiply as in singly housed mice, even though housing density can differentially affect the cancer-reducing effect of CR.

Dietary restriction reduces atherosclerosis and oxidative stress in the aorta of apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Dietary restriction (DR) has been shown to inhibit almost all the age-related diseases, e.g. cardiomyopathy and cancers, in rodents. However, there is little information for the effect of DR on atherosclerosis. In the present study, we examined the effect of DR on the development of atherosclerosis in mice homozygous knockout for apolipoprotein E gene (ApoE(-/-)). The ApoE(-/-) mice were fed either ad libitum (AL) or 60% of the diet consumed by the mice fed AL. Atherosclerotic lesions in the proximal aorta of these mice were measured. Our results showed that ApoE(-/-) mice fed the calorie-restricted diet had smaller and relatively early stages of atherosclerotic lesions (e.g. foam cells and free lipids) when compared to ApoE(-/-) mice fed AL, who developed more advanced lesions (e.g. fibrous caps and acellular areas). In addition, ApoE(-/-) mice fed the calorie-restricted diet showed a significant decrease in the level of lipid hydroperoxides and the production of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in the aorta as compared to ApoE(-/-) mice fed AL. These observations suggest that reduction of oxidative stress in the arterial wall may contribute to the anti-atherogenic effect of DR in ApoE(-/-) mice.

Rapamycin-induced metabolic defects are reversible in both lean and obese mice.

The inhibition of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) by the macrolide rapamycin has many beneficial effects in mice, including extension of lifespan and reduction or prevention of several age-related diseases. At the same time, chronic rapamycin treatment causes impairments in glucose metabolism including hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. It is unknown whether these metabolic effects of rapamycin are permanent or whether they can be alleviated. Here, we confirmed that rapamycin causes glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in both inbred and genetically heterogeneous mice fed either low fat or high fat diets, suggesting that these effects of rapamycin are independent of genetic background. Importantly, we also found that these effects were almost completely lost within a few weeks of cessation of treatment, showing that chronic rapamycin treatment does not induce permanent impairment of glucose metabolism. Somewhat surprisingly, chronic rapamycin also promoted increased accumulation of adipose tissue in high fat fed mice. However, this effect too was lost when rapamycin treatment was ended suggesting that this effect of rapamycin is also not permanent. The reversible nature of rapamycin's alterations of metabolic function suggests that these potentially detrimental side-effects might be managed through alternative dosing strategies or concurrent treatment options.

Mice fed rapamycin have an increase in lifespan associated with major changes in the liver transcriptome.

Rapamycin was found to increase (11% to 16%) the lifespan of male and female C57BL/6J mice most likely by reducing the increase in the hazard for mortality (i.e., the rate of aging) term in the Gompertz mortality analysis. To identify the pathways that could be responsible for rapamycin's longevity effect, we analyzed the transcriptome of liver from 25-month-old male and female mice fed rapamycin starting at 4 months of age. Few changes (<300 transcripts) were observed in transcriptome of rapamycin-fed males; however, a large number of transcripts (>4,500) changed significantly in females. Using multidimensional scaling and heatmap analyses, the male mice fed rapamycin were found to segregate into two groups: one group that is almost identical to control males (Rapa-1) and a second group (Rapa-2) that shows a change in gene expression (>4,000 transcripts) with more than 60% of the genes shared with female mice fed Rapa. Using ingenuity pathway analysis, 13 pathways were significantly altered in both Rapa-2 males and rapamycin-fed females with mitochondrial function as the most significantly changed pathway. Our findings show that rapamycin has a major effect on the transcriptome and point to several pathways that would likely impact the longevity.

Rapamycin extends life and health in C57BL/6 mice.

Target of rapamycin inhibition by rapamycin feeding has previously been shown to extend life in genetically heterogeneous mice. To examine whether it similarly affected mouse health, we fed encapsulated rapamycin or a control diet to C57BL/6Nia mice of both sexes starting at 19 months of age. We performed a range of health assessments 6 and 12 months later. Rapamycin feeding significantly reduced mTOR activity in most but not all tissues. It also reduced total and resting metabolic rate during the light (inactive) phase of the light:dark cycle in females only but had no effect on spontaneous activity or metabolism during the dark (active) phase of either sex. Males only had less fragmented sleep when fed rapamycin, whereas stride length and rotarod performance were improved in both sexes. Survival was also improved by this late-life rapamycin feeding, and some pathological lesions were delayed. We found no adverse health consequences associated with rapamycin treatment.

Probing the relationship between insulin sensitivity and longevity using genetically modified mice.

Interference in insulin and/or insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling can extend invertebrate life span, and interference in IGF-1 signaling can extend murine life span. Whether interference with murine insulin signaling, which can be diabetogenic and pathological, is also life-extending is controversial. We therefore measured life span in 3 murine strains genetically modified to reduce or increase insulin sensitivity. Mice with reduced insulin sensitivity were hemizygous for a null mutation in the insulin receptor (insulin receptor knockout mice; IRKO(+/-)). Mice with increased insulin sensitivity either had a null mutation of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B(-/-)) or overexpressed Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α coactivator (PGC)-1α (PGC-1α(TG)). Life span of insulin insensitive IRKO(+/) mice was increased (males) or unaffected (females). Life spans of mice with increased insulin sensitivity were shortened overall (PTP-1B(-/-) mice) or partially (PGC-1α(TG): survival at the 25th percentile was reduced). These results show that insulin sensitivity in some murine genotypes is inversely related to longevity and provide further evidence for evolutionary conservation of this pathway as a modulator of longevity.