Anti-Aging Effects of Antioxidant Revealed

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.”