Dietary restriction delays cataract and reduces ascorbate levels in emory mice

Dietary restriction can effectively extend lifespan and retard many age-related debilities. One hypothesis to explain the beneficial effects of dietary restriction is that it prolongs maintenance of cellular homeostasis by limiting endogenous oxidative stress and preserves oxidative defense mechanis...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Experimental eye research 1995-07, Vol.61 (1), p.55-62
Main Authors: Taylor, Allen, Jahngen-Hodge, Jessica, Smith, Donald E., Palmer, Victoria J., Dallal, Gerard E., Lipman, Ruth D., Padhye, Nita, Frei, Balz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
age
aging
Aging - metabolism
Animals
ascorbate
Ascorbic Acid - metabolism
Biological and medical sciences
cataract
Cataract - metabolism
Cataract - prevention & control
Diet
dietary restriction
Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lens, Crystalline - metabolism
Mice
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Dietary restriction can effectively extend lifespan and retard many age-related debilities. One hypothesis to explain the beneficial effects of dietary restriction is that it prolongs maintenance of cellular homeostasis by limiting endogenous oxidative stress and preserves oxidative defense mechanisms during aging. Ascorbate, a primary antioxidant, may play a major role in preventing oxidative damage. Ascorbate levels were determined in dietary restricted (R) and control (C) Emory mice, a strain which develops age-related cataract due in part to oxidative damage to lens proteins. Mice which consumed a diet restricted by 40% in calories had lower ascorbate concentrations in plasma, liver and kidney. Nevertheless, R animals showed significantly delayed progression of cataract which extended over the entire second half of life. The R diet did not result in different ascorbate levels in the lens. Aging was associated with a decrease in ascorbate in all the examined tissues except lens of both the R and C groups. It is not clear from these data that ascorbate is a prominent factor in the delay of cataract formation or other debilities in R Emory mice. However, it also appears unlikely that lens ascorbate is cataractogenic.
ISSN:0014-4835
1096-0007
DOI:10.1016/S0014-4835(95)80058-1