Oral intake of degalactosylated whey protein increases peripheral blood telomere length in young and aged mice.

Toshio Inui, Namiko Kawamura, Masahiro Yamamura, Kentaro Kubo, Hajime Yamakage, Noriko Satoh-Asahara, Yoshihiro Ogawa, Goro Katsuura

Saisei Mirai Cell Processing Center, Moriguchi, Japan. [email protected] Mirai Cell Processing Center, Moriguchi, Japan. [email protected]. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

In order to elucidate novel actions of degalactosylated whey protein (D-WP) in comparison with intact whey protein (WP), the effects of oral intake of D-WP on peripheral blood telomere length and telomerase were examined in young and aged mice. In young mice, peripheral blood telomere length was significantly elongated following oral intake of D-WP for 4 weeks. mRNA expression of both telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA component (TERC) was significantly increased in the peripheral blood following oral intake of D-WP for 4 weeks. In aged mice, peripheral blood telomere length was significantly decreased as compared with that of young mice, and significantly restored to the level of young mice drinking water by the oral intake of D-WP for 4 weeks. The mRNA expression of peripheral blood TERT and TERC mRNA in aged mice significantly decreased as compared with the level in young mice drinking water, and was significantly restored to the level of expression of young mice drinking water by oral intake of D-WP for 4 weeks. These results suggest that D-WP, but not WP, potently increases peripheral blood telomere length accompanied by increased mRNA expression of TERT and TERC in both young and aged mice.

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Research summary

The paper investigates the effects of degalactosylated whey protein on telomere length in both young and aged mice, which is directly related to the biological mechanisms of aging and cellular senescence. While the findings are interesting and contribute to the understanding of dietary influences on telomere dynamics, the study presents an incremental advance rather than a groundbreaking discovery. The implications for longevity are present but limited, as the research primarily focuses on a specific protein's effects without addressing broader mechanisms of aging or lifespan extension.

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