Oxygen restriction may improve longevity

in collaboration with

Dr Christophe de Jaeger (Longevity and geriatrics)

The effects of oxygen restriction, also called hypoxia, on mice have been studied by American scientists. Dr. Robert Rogers of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, and his colleagues conducted laboratory experiments with an animal model (mice bred to age faster than other mice while showing classic signs of aging mammals throughout their bodies).

Two groups of mice studied under different conditions

To extend healthy lifespan, a number of chemical compounds and other interventions have shown promise in mammals, such as the drug metformin or dietary restriction. Oxygen restriction has also been linked to longer lifespan in yeasts, nematodes and fruit flies. However, its effects in mammals are unknown.

To test this, the researchers chose a particular species of mice engineered to age prematurely. The rodents were split into two groups, one living at normal atmospheric oxygen levels (about 21% oxygen in the air) and the other moved – at four weeks old – to a living environment. with a lower proportion of oxygen, at 11%, an oxygen level similar to what exists at 5000 meters altitude.

Mice with longer lifespans

Results: Scientists found that mice in the oxygen-restricted environment lived about 50% longer than mice in normal oxygen levels, with a median lifespan of 23.6 weeks versus 15.7 weeks. The oxygen-restricted mice also exhibited a delayed onset of neurological deficits associated with aging.

This is the first time scientists have shown that reduced oxygen intake is associated with longer lifespan in laboratory mice, highlighting its anti-aging potential. “We find that continuous chronic hypoxia prolongs lifespan by 50% and delays the onset of neurological debility in a mouse model of aging. This is the first time that ‘oxygen restriction’ has been shown to be beneficial in a mammalian model of aging“explains Professor Rogers.