Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) have discovered numerous age-related changes in the lipid metabolism of mice, across both organs and sexes. Among these changes was the selective accumulation, throughout the body, of certain lipids produced by gut bacteria as the mice aged. They also discovered a sex difference in the kidneys and a gene responsible for it.
Published in Nature Aging , this study could lead to better understanding of chronic age-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, kidney disease, and cancer. Lipids, often in the form of fats or oils, are essential molecules for storing energy in our bodies, among other things. In addition, lipids act as signaling molecules and as components of cell membranes.
Metabolism-;the breakdown of biomolecules such as lipids and sugars into their component parts-;slows down as we age, which helps explain why it's easier to gain weight, and more difficult to lose it, as we get older. Although this has been known for over 50 years, how changes in lipid metabolism in particular affects lifespan and health remain unclear. In their recent study, Hiroshi Tsugawa and his team at RIKEN IMS reasoned that before this question can be fully answered, we need to know what the actual changes are, in great detail.
Only then can scientists begin looking for links between aging lipid metabolism and human health. Toward this end, they used mice to develop an atlas of age-related changes in li.
