Compound improves health, increases lifespan of obese mice

Researchers have reported that obese male mice treated with a synthetic compound called SRT1720 were healthier and lived longer compared to non-treated obese mice. The experimental compound was found to improve the function of the liver, pancreas and heart in mice.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) supported the study, in collaboration with Sirtris, a GlaxoSmithKline company. The study was primarily conducted by the NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health, and is published online in the Thursday, August 18, 2011, issue of Scientific Reports.

"This study has interesting implications for research on the biology of aging. It demonstrates that years of healthy life can be extended in an animal model of diet-induced obesity by a synthetic compound that modulates a gene pathway associated with aging," said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. More research is needed to assess the relevance of these findings in people, Hodes and the researchers noted.

SRT1720, a patented molecule, has been shown to activate the SIRT1enzyme, part of a class of enzymes called sirtuins. Sirtuins have been previously implicated in aging processes and are thought to contribute to the positive effects of dietary restriction (also known as calorie restriction) in higher organisms, including nonhuman primates.

In this study, scientists compared the health of 1-year-old, or middle-aged, male mice fed a high-fat diet with a high dose of SRT1720, a low dose of SRT1720 or no SRT1720. Additionally, these mice were compared to a control group of 1-year-old male mice fed a standard diet...