Effect of Carnosine on Age-Induced Changes in Senescence-Accelerated Mice

Summary: Carnosine extends median survival on an accelerated-aging model of mice by about 20%

Interestingness: 2

Paper by MO Yuneva, ER Bulygina, SC Gallant, GG Kramarenko, SL Stvolinsky, ML Semyonova and AA Boldyrev in the Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, Volume 2, Issue 4, Winter 1999.

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In a study of two groups of 70 senescence-accelerated mice prone 1 (SAMP1) each, carnosine extended the time taken until half the mice in its group died. That is, on a plot of age versus percentage of animals alive, plotting both SAMP1 control and SAMP1 given carnosine groups, both curves start at 100% and drop to zero%. They reach zero at around the same age (17 months), but the control curve drops earlier, with the 50% mark being around 10 months for control and 12 months for the carnosine'd mice. Other benefits included glossier fur, less skin ulcers, and much more reactivity and passive avoidance. I don't know what reactivity is, but was in the group with passive avoidance. From wikipedia, I get that carnosine raises corticosterone. Doesn't sound good to me.

SAMP1 mice are whacked though, so again, I don't put much weight on this. SAMP1 mice are prone to amyloidoisis (http://readingrejuvenationresearch.blogspot.com/2010/01/interventions-of-senescence-in-sam-mice.html).

They don't know about the mechanism of action. They suggest a few: carnosine is a oxide radical scavenger, it prevents radical production in the first place, and it is an antiglycation agent, but maybe something else.

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Abstract follows:

The effect of carnosine on the life span and several brain biochemical characteristics in senescence-accelerated mice-prone 1 (SAMP1) was investigated. A 50% survival rate of animals treated with carnosine increased by 20% as compared to controls. Moreover, the number of animals that lived to an old age significantly increased. The effect of carnosine on life span was accompanied by a decrease in the level of 2'-tiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), monoamine oxidase b (MAO b), and Na/K-ATPase activity. There was also an increase in glutamate binding to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. These observations are consistent with the conclusion that carnosine increases life span and quality of life by diminishing production of lipid peroxides and reducing the influence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on membrane proteins.