The Antiaging Activity and Cerebral Protection of Rapamycin at Micro‐doses. (November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qi, Haiyan; Su, Feng‐Yun; Wan, Shan; Chen, Yongjie; Cheng, Yan‐Qiong; Liu, Ai‐Jun
• Is Part Of: CNS neuroscience & therapeutics. Volume 20:Number 11(2014)
• Page Start: 991
• Page End: 998
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Subjects: Neuropharmacology -- Periodicals; Central nervous system -- Diseases -- Effect of drugs on -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1111/cns.12338
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-5930

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="cns12338-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="cns12338-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background and purpose</title> <p>The immunosuppressant drug rapamycin was reported to have an antiaging activity, which was attributed to the TORC1 inhibition that inhibits cell proliferation and increases autophagy. However, rapamycin also exhibits a number of harmful adverse effects. Whether rapamycin can be developed into an antiaging agent remains unclear.</p> </sec> <sec id="cns12338-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods and results</title> <p>We demonstrated that rapamycin at micro‐doses (below the TORC1 inhibiting concentration) exhibits a cell‐protective activity: (1) It protects cultured neurons against neurotoxin MPP⁺ and H₂O₂. (2) It increases survival time of neuron in culture. (3) It maintains the nonproliferative state of cultured senescent human fibroblasts and prevents cell death induced by telomere dysfunction. (4) In animal models, it decreased the cerebral infarct sizes induced by acute ischemia and dramatically extended the life span of stroke prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR‐SPs).</p> </sec> <sec id="cns12338-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>We propose that rapamycin at micro‐dose can be developed into an antiaging agent with a novel mechanism.</p> </sec> </abstract>