title: Rapamycin slows aging in mice.
abstract: Rapamycin increases lifespan in mice, but whether this represents merely inhibition of lethal neoplastic diseases, or an overall slowing in multiple aspects of aging is currently unclear. We report here that many forms of age-dependent change, including alterations in heart, liver, adrenal glands, endometrium, and tendon, as well as age-dependent decline in spontaneous activity, occur more slowly in rapamycin-treated mice, suggesting strongly that rapamycin retards multiple aspects of aging in mice, in addition to any beneficial effects it may have on neoplastic disease. We also note, however, that mice treated with rapamycin starting at 9 months of age have significantly higher incidence of testicular degeneration and cataracts; harmful effects of this kind will guide further studies on timing, dosage, and tissue-specific actions of rapamycin relevant to the development of clinically useful inhibitors of TOR action.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burmeister
authors.forename: Susan V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Chi-Chao
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Friedline
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hejtmancik
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nadon
authors.forename: Randy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Lauren K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced; D004717:Endometrium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D057507:Mice, 129 Strain; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013710:Tendons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C546843:mTOR protein, mouse; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020123:Sirolimus