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Growth hormone receptor knockout (GHRKO) mice live about 40%-55% longer than their normal (N) littermates. Previous studies of 21-month-old GHRKO and N mice showed major alterations of the hepatic expression of genes involved in insulin signaling. Differences detected at this age may have been caused by the knockout of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) or by differences in biological age between GHRKO and N mice. To address this question, we compared GHRKO and N mice at ages corresponding to the same percentage of median life span to see if the differences of gene expression persisted. Comparison of GHRKO and N mice at ~50% of biological life span showed significant differences in hepatic expression of all 14 analyzed genes. We conclude that these changes are due to disruption of GHR gene and the consequent suppression of growth hormone signaling rather than to differences in 'biological age' between mutant and normal animals sampled at the same chronological age. Key Words: Aging--GHRKO--Insulin. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glp111

Reduced insulin sensitivity and glucose intolerance have been long suspected of having important involvement in aging. Here we report that in studies of calorie restriction (CR) effects in mutant ([Propl.sup.df] and growth hormone receptor knockout [GHRKO]) and normal mice, insulin sensitivity was strongly associated with longevity. Of particular interest was enhancement of the already increased insulin sensitivity in CR df/df mice in which longevity was also further extended and the lack of changes in insulin sensitivity in calorically restricted GHRKO mice in which there was no further increase in average life span. We suggest that enhanced insulin sensitivity, in conjunction with reduced insulin levels, may represent an important (although almost certainly not exclusive) mechanism of increased longevity in hypopituitary, growth hormone (GH)-resistant, and calorie-restricted animals. We also report that the effects of GH treatment on insulin sensitivity may be limited to the period of GH administration. Key Words: Insulin--Longevity--GHRKO--Ames dwarf.

Growth hormone (GH) signaling influences longevity in mice, with decreased GH signaling associated with longer life span and increased GH signaling with shortened life span. A proposed mechanism through which GH signaling influences life span postulates that decreased GH signaling lowers metabolic rate, thus slowing aging by decreasing production of damaging free radicals. The influence of altered GH signaling on metabolism was tested by monitoring oxygen consumption ([VO.sub.2]), respiratory quotient (RQ), and heat production in long-lived GH receptor knockout (GHRKO) and Ames dwarf mice, and short-lived bovine GH-overexpressing transgenic (bGH TG) mice. Intriguingly, both GHRKO and Ames dwarf mice have increased [VO.sub.2] and heat per gram body weight, and decreased RQ, whereas bGH TG mice have decreased [VO.sub.2] and heat per gram body weight and increased RQ. In conclusion, decreased GH signaling associates with increased metabolism per body weight and may beneficially affect mitochondrial flexibility by increasing the capacity for fat oxidation; generally, GH excess produces opposite metabolic effects. Key Words: Metabolism--Altered growth hormone signaling--Thyroid hormone--oxygen consumption--Respiratory quotient.

Calorie restriction (CR) improves insulin sensitivity and increases life span in normal but not in long-lived growth hormone-resistant knockout (GHRKO) mice. In this study, we examined interactive effects of GH resistance and long-term CR on cardiac insulin action. GHRKO mice exhibited marked increases in the insulin-induced phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR), insulin receptor substrate-1 (1RS-1), Akt, and ERK1/2 along with elevated insulin-stimulated IRS-l-associated regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in the heart. These changes were associated with elevated protein levels of IR, IRS-1, and Akt and with a down-regulation of cardiac glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). In normal mice, CR induced an important increase in the phosphorylation of cardiac Akt without elevation of Akt protein, reaching activation levels similar to those seen in GHRKO mice. This change may be cardioprotective and thus contribute to increased longevity in response to CR. Interestingly, the insulin signaling cascade in the heart of GHRKO mice was unaffected by CR. Key Words: GHRKO mice--Calorie restriction--Heart--Insulin signaling.

Growth hormone receptor-deficient (GHRKO) mice are long-lived and have reduced insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and insulin levels and enhanced insulin sensitivity thus resembling the phenotype of animals subjected to calorie restriction (CR). In contrast to its effects in normal mice, CR does not improve insulin sensitivity or increase longevity in GHRKO males. In an attempt to identify mechanisms underlying this differential response to CR, effects of CR on the expression of insulin-related genes were compared in GHRKO and normal mice. In addition to changes detected in both genotypes, and responses unique to GHRKO mice, the levels of Akt2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-[gamma] coactivator-1[alpha] (PGCI[alpha]) were increased and levels of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1 were reduced in response to CR only in normal mice. These changes may be related to mechanisms of improving insulin sensitivity and life expectancy.

There is conflicting information on the physiological role of growth hormone (GH) in the control of aging. This study reports dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements of body composition and bone characteristics in young, adult, and aged long-lived GH receptor knockout (GHR-KO) and normal mice to determine the effects of GH resistance during aging. Compared to controls, GHR-KO mice showed an increased percentage of body fat. GHR-KO mice have reduced total-body bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content, and bone area, but these parameters increased with age. In addition, GHR-KO mice have decreased femur length, femur BMD, and lower lumbar BMD compared to controls in all age groups. These parameters also continued to increase with age. Our results indicate that GH resistance alters body composition, bone growth, and bone maintenance during aging in GHR-KO mice.

Growth hormone receptor/binding protein knockout (GHR-KO) mice live approximately 40% longer than their normal siblings do. These mice have dramatically reduced plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and enhanced insulin sensitivity. We examined the expression level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and retinoid X receptors family genes in the livers of normal and GHR-KO mice fed ad libitum or subjected to long-term 30% caloric restriction (CR). The levels of PPAR[gamma] and PPAR[alpha] messenger RNA and proteins and the levels of retinoid X receptors messenger RNA were elevated in long-lived GHR-KO mice as compared to normal mice with no major effect of CR in either genotype. These findings suggest that enhanced insulin sensitivity of GHR-KO mice may be related to the altered actions of PPARs family members in the liver. The results also indicate that CR may increase insulin sensitivity through a different mechanism.

Resistance to growth hormone, reduced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) action, and enhanced insulin sensitivity are likely mediators of extended life span and delayed aging process in growth hormone receptor/binding protein knockout (GHR-KO) mice. Fat metabolism and genes involved in fatty acid oxidation are strongly involved in insulin action. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot we have examined expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) genes in the skeletal muscle of normal and GHR-KO mice subjected to 30% caloric restriction. The results indicate that caloric restriction decreased the expression of PPAR[gamma], PPAR[alpha], and PPAR[beta]/[delta] which would lead to down-regulation of fat metabolism. This suggested metabolic change clearly does not affect whole-body insulin action. These findings suggest that whole-animal insulin sensitivity is not regulated through skeletal muscle insulin action.

In this study, we analyzed the effects of long-term (14 months) caloric restriction (CR) on the first steps of the insulin signaling system in skeletal muscle of normal mice. CR induced a significant decrease in serum insulin and glucose levels, indicating an enhancement of insulin sensitivity. CR reduced the in vivo insulin-induced phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 by 27%, but this difference was not significant (p = .298). CR reduced insulin receptor (IR) abundance by 34% from the ad libitum values, but this difference did not reach significance (p = .246). The abundance of the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K and glucose transporter 4 was unaltered after CR. However, IRS-1 abundance was significantly increased by 42% in muscle of mice exposed to CR. These findings indicate that the CR-induced improvement of insulin action in mice is not related to changes in glucose transporter 4, the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K, or IR abundance in skeletal muscle but might be related to an increase in IRS-1 abundance in this tissue.

Long-lived Ames dwarf mice share many phenotypic characteristics with animals subjected to caloric restriction (CR) but they are not CR mimetics. CR prolongs longevity in both normal and Ames dwarf mice. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot, we have examined the expression of genes related to insulin signaling in the liver of normal and dwarf mice subjected to 30% CR. The results revealed divergent responses of dwarf and normal animals to CR raising an interesting possibility that CR may affect longevity of normal and dwarf mice by different mechanisms. Moreover, effects of dwarfism on the expression of the examined genes differed from the effects of CR, thus adding to the evidence that these long-lived mutants are not CR mimetics.

DNA repair is essential for life, yet its efficiency declines with age for reasons that are unclear. Numerous proteins possess Nudix homology domains (NHDs) that have no known function. We show that NHDs are NAD+ (oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) binding domains that regulate protein-protein interactions. The binding of NAD+ to the NHD domain of DBC1 (deleted in breast cancer 1) prevents it from inhibiting PARP1 [poly(adenosine diphosphate–ribose) polymerase], a critical DNA repair protein. As mice age and NAD+ concentrations decline, DBC1 is increasingly bound to PARP1, causing DNA damage to accumulate, a process rapidly reversed by restoring the abundance of NAD+. Thus, NAD+ directly regulates protein-protein interactions, the modulation of which may protect against cancer, radiation, and aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]