2014/04/01 by Ryoko Kibe, Shin Kurihara, Yumi Sakai +10 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Polyamine Metabolism and Applications #Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism #Gut microbiota and health #Spermidine #Putrescine #Downregulation and upregulation #Spermine #Polyamine #Arginine #Senescence #Biology #Inflammation #Pharmacology #Endocrinology #Immunology #Biochemistry #Cell biology #Enzyme #Amino acid
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/srep04548
openalex publication_date 2014/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Prevention of quality of life (QOL) deterioration is associated with the inhibition of geriatric diseases and the regulation of brain function. However, no substance is known that prevents the aging of both body and brain. It is known that polyamine concentrations in somatic tissues (including the brain) decrease with increasing age, and polyamine-rich foods enhance longevity in yeast, worms, flies, and mice, and protect flies from age-induced memory impairment. A main source of exogenous polyamines is the intestinal lumen, where they are produced by intestinal bacteria. We found that arginine intake increased the concentration of putrescine in the colon and increased levels of spermidine and spermine in the blood. Mice orally administered with arginine in combination with the probiotic bifidobacteria LKM512 long-term showed suppressed inflammation, improved longevity, and protection from age-induced memory impairment. This study shows that intake of arginine and LKM512 may prevent aging-dependent declines in QOL via the upregulation of polyamines.