Aging and anti-aging: Unexpected side effects of everyday medication through sirtuin1 modulation

  • Authors:
    • Nicole Engel
    • Ulrich Mahlknecht
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: February 1, 2008     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.21.2.223
  • Pages: 223-232
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Abstract

The sirtuin 1 protein (SIRT1) is a member of the class III NAD+-dependent histone deacetylases, which are also referred to as the ‘sirtuins’. The sirtuins and silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) in particular, are known to play a role in the response to DNA damage, metabolism, longevity and carcinogenesis. SIRT1 regulates different cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis through deacetylation of important regulatory proteins such as p53, FOXO3a and NFκB. A number of different modifiers of SIRT1 expression and activity have been discovered and even food and cosmetic additives (e.g. resveratrol and dihydrocoumarin) have been suggested to either activate or inhibit the activity of human SIRT1. We screened a panel of 18 different drugs which are frequently used in everyday clinical practice with regard to their influence on cell survival and SIRT1 expression in freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from young and healthy volunteers. In this context, we identified L-thyroxin, insulin and sodium nitroprusside to be potent activators of human SIRT1 expression. In addition, treatment of PBMCs with sodium nitroprusside was associated with a significant cellular lifespan extension, while L-thyroxin and insulin were unable to prolong lifespan, suggesting that isolated upregulation of SIRT1 is in fact insufficient to promote longevity. These findings have an important impact on the long-term use of a number of frequently used clinical agents in the treatment of chronic disease with respect to aging and carcinogenesis.

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February 2008
Volume 21 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Engel N and Engel N: Aging and anti-aging: Unexpected side effects of everyday medication through sirtuin1 modulation. Int J Mol Med 21: 223-232, 2008
APA
Engel, N., & Engel, N. (2008). Aging and anti-aging: Unexpected side effects of everyday medication through sirtuin1 modulation. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 21, 223-232. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.21.2.223
MLA
Engel, N., Mahlknecht, U."Aging and anti-aging: Unexpected side effects of everyday medication through sirtuin1 modulation". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 21.2 (2008): 223-232.
Chicago
Engel, N., Mahlknecht, U."Aging and anti-aging: Unexpected side effects of everyday medication through sirtuin1 modulation". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 21, no. 2 (2008): 223-232. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.21.2.223