Polyamines and longevity in mammals

Abstract

Polyamines are universally present in all cells of every species. Polyamines have several biological functions, such as in the synthesis and stabilization of DNA, RNA, and proteins; in cell proliferation; and in the maturation and maintenance of intestinal mucosal barriers. They also show antiinflammatory and antimutagenic activities and protect against diverse stresses and autophagy. In mammals, body polyamine levels decrease during the aging process. Polyamines have therefore been found to be useful for the inhibition of chronic inflammation, which is one of the main symptoms of geriatric diseases. In fact, oral polyamine supplementation increases lifespan in various model organisms such as yeast, fly, and worm. Although research on the promotion of longevity using polyamines has just begun in mammals, several effective results have already been obtained. Interestingly, the longevity observed in mice given exogenous polyamines is not the same mechanism of longevity obtained by calorie restriction, which has been shown to increase longevity in a variety of species. In addition, because exogenous polyamines derived from meals are absorbed before they reach the lower parts of the intestine, the greatest amounts of the polyamines in the lower parts of the intestine are synthesized by intestinal microbiota. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the effects of exogenous polyamines, which are supplied by food or by intestinal microbiota altered using probiotics, on longevity.