The exceptional longevity of the naked mole-rat may be explained by mitochondrial antioxidant defenses.

ABSTRACT: Naked mole-rats (NMRs) are mouse-sized mammals that exhibit an exceptionally long lifespan (>30 vs. <4 years for mice), and resist aging-related pathologies such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, cancer, and neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms underlying this exceptional longevity and disease resistance remain poorly understood. The oxidative stress theory of aging posits that (a) senescence results from the accumulation of oxidative damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species (ROS) of mitochondrial origin, and (b) mitochondria of long-lived species produce less ROS than do mitochondria of short-lived species. However, comparative studies over the past 28 years have produced equivocal results supporting this latter prediction. We hypothesized that, rather than differences in

SUBMITTER: Munro D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6516170 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature