Revitalization and life span extension by xenogenic fetal materials: laboratory rodent and cell culture studies
G. Hofecker, A. Strasser, H. Niedermüller, C. Gabler
Institute of Physiology of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
Parenteral administration of xenogenic fetal materials to old rats had
been shown by Kment and coworkers in the 1960ies and 1970ies to
compensate for at least some age-related losses of physiological
capacity in aged rats. In a number of studies in the 1980ies, then
commercially available lyophilized homogenates of fetal sheep testis
given subcutaneously (s.c.) to aged rats produced statistically
significant long-acting revitalizing effects on a number of age
parameters of connective tissue, skin, aorta, liver, kidney, heart,
spontaneous and reactive motor activity, running capacity, learning and
memory, plasma testosterone as well as on cohort survival after the age
of 24 months. A lyophilized fetal sheep mesenchymal preparation
(obtained from umbilical cord) had even more pronounced revitalizing
effects on old male rats including significantly elevated testosterone
levels. In another survival study, female OF-1 mice showing age-related
expression of lymphatic leucosis were given a single block of 5 s.c.
injections of fetal sheep mesenchyme or Ringer's solution,
respectively, at the age of 50%-survival. Survival curves separated
within weeks: the last controls died at the age of 700 days whereas the
last animals of the treated group attained an age of 1100 days. In
order to elucidate the mechanism of this effect, we are using the YAC-1
mouse lymphoma cell line. A series of cell culture proliferation
studies showed two opposite effects of the complex material: a clearly
dose-related stimulatory effect at low concentrations, and a
proliferation-blocking effect at higher concentrations which seems to
arrest the cell cycle of the lymphoma cells (probably in G1 or G0) or
sends them into apoptosis. These effects are abolished by heat
denaturation and were not obtained by addition of xenogenic albumin.
First studies with a cell death detection test point to high apoptotic
activity induced by the fetal material. Hypothetical signal
transduction mechanisms and testing strategies are discussed.
Key words:
revitalization; xenogenic fetal mesenchyme; Yac-1; life span
Problems or questions regarding this site should be directed to
the organiser