High Autophagy in the Naked Mole Rat may Play a Significant Role in Maintaining Good Health

作者：Zhao, Shanmin; Lin, Lifang; Kan, Guanghan; Xu, Chang; Tang, Qiu; Yu, Chenlin; Sun, Wei; Cai, Liping; Xu, Chen; Cui, Shufang^*

来源：Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, 2014, 33(2): 321-332.

DOI：10.1159/000356672

• Autophagy
• Apoptosis
• Macroautophagy
• Hepatic stellate cell

Background/Aims: The maximum lifespan of the naked mole rat is over 28.3 years, which exceeds that of any other rodent species, suggesting that age-related changes in its body composition and functionality are either attenuated or delayed in this extraordinarily long-lived species. However, the mechanisms underlying the aging process in this species are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether long-lived naked mole rats display more autophagic activity than short-lived mice. Methods: Hepatic stellate cells isolated from naked mole rats were treated with 50 nM rapamycin or 20 mM 3-methyladenine (3-MA) for 12 or 24 h. Expression of the autophagy marker proteins LC3-II and beclin 1 was measured with western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The induction of apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: Our results demonstrate that one-day-old naked mole rats have higher levels of autophagy than one-day-old short-lived C57BL/6 mice, and that both adult naked mole rats (eight months old) and adult C57BL/6 mice (eight weeks old) have high basal levels of autophagy, which may be an important mechanism inhibiting aging and reducing the risk of age-related diseases. Conclusion: Here, we report that autophagy facilitated the survival of hepatic stellate cells from the naked mole rat, and that treatment with 3-MA or rapamycin increased the ratio of apoptotic cells to normal hepatic stellate cells.

• 出版日期2014
• 单位上海实验动物研究中心; 上海体育学院; 中国航天员科研训练中心; 中国人民解放军第二军医大学