Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / June 2005

By Cindy Drukier and Jan Jekielek:

Research on an obscure rodent known as the naked mole rat (NMR) is helping
scientists uncover the secrets of eternal youth, and it doesn¹t look like
antioxidants are the key. ³Antioxidants are only one small factor in
explaining the aging process,² says Blazej Andziak, Ph. D. candidate at
City University of New York (CUNY).

Andziak¹s thesis advisor, Dr. Rochelle Buffenstein, discovered about 10
years ago that her study animals were unusually long lived. ³While mice
live only three and a half years, NMR¹s can live to 28,² says Andziak.
This makes them the longest-lived rodent species existing today.

These odd creatures, slightly bigger than a field mouse, are completely
hairless, with loose pink skin so translucent that you can see their
internal organs. Living in underground colonies, they also possess
enormous top and bottom buckteeth, designed for tunneling through dense
earth in search of their favorite food, underground tubers that can weigh
up to 50 lbs. ³They may not be pretty, but they¹re very cute,² says
Andziak enthusiastically.

Andziak has been studying NMR¹s for the last 8 years, only a fraction of
their lifespan, but has managed to make some interesting discoveries.

The key lies in what¹s called the Oxidative Damage Theory of Aging. Free
radicals, or oxidants, which are normal byproducts of breathing (oxygen
exchanged for carbon dioxide), cause damage to living tissue over time, in
particular the DNA and proteins. According to the theory, this damage is
what causes aging.

NMR¹s don¹t show the typical signs of degenerative aging. ³Their
metabolisms don¹t slow down, they can reproduce until death and there¹s
not the increase of fat and decrease in muscle mass that we see in
people,² says Andziak. ³Either their system produces fewer damaging
molecules, or the mole rats are more tolerant to the damage,² he adds.

Andziak¹s research, as of yet incomplete, suggests that NMR¹s are not
unusual in terms of the amount of antioxidants found in their bodies. This
makes his first hypothesis unlikely. ³Any system has natural repair
mechanisms, such as antioxidants,² Andziak continues, ³but these can only
have a mitigating effect.² This leaves increased tolerance to damage as a
proposed cause of his animals¹ remarkable longevity. Although he says that
he can¹t reveal the details of his research at this time, Andziak indeed
believes that the answers to NMR aging lie in increased resistance to
oxidant damage. If future inquiry can discover why, we might be one step
closer to finding that illusive fountain of youth. Then again, maybe we¹re
better off if the mole rats keep it their little secret.

Can Andziak¹s research be applied to human¹s search for eternal youth? ³We
can¹t extrapolate that far yet,² says Andziak, but his research does have
important implications for current health fads.

Despite the latest health trends touting the benefits of antioxidants ­
everything from pomegranate juice to the green tea craze ­ Andziak
believes that increasing antioxidants in one¹s diet isn¹t useful to
people. ³[Extra] antioxidants can help some individuals over time, but
they can¹t increase the longevity of the whole species,² he says. When
Andziak¹s research is complete, perhaps he will be able to offer some
clues as to what will.

SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE FOR PHOTO OF THE NAKED MOLE RATS:
<http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-6-15/29536.html>
They look like pinky rats but they're full grown.