Rilmenidine, a commonly prescribed drug for high blood pressure, is able to lengthen the pathway in animal models by mimicking the effects of a calorie-restricted diet. Perhaps it can also delay aging in humans.
A drug to control high blood pressure (an antihypertensive) has been shown to extend lifespan in animal models in laboratory tests. The drug, called rilmenidine, mimics the effects of a low-calorie diet – considered the most effective ‘anti-aging’ method in research – but without the side effects, which can be significant in humans. As a widely prescribed, safe and well-tolerated drug, according to the authors of the research, it might easily be used to delay aging in people, provided it demonstrates this property in our species as well.
An international research team led by British scientists from the Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, who collaborated in close contact with colleagues from the Extracellular Matrix Regeneration Laboratory – Institute of Translational Medicine in ETH Zurich (Switzerland), the Department of Medicine of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard University and other institutes. The scientists, coordinated by Professor João Pedro Magalhães, now a lecturer at the University of Birmingham, reached their conclusions following carrying out experiments with a species of worm, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegansconsidered one of the best animal models for conducting experiments, having many genes in common with ours.
Professor Magalhães and his colleagues screened several compounds in search of a compound capable of triggering gene expression comparable to that of a low-calorie diet, which, as indicated, is considered the best experimental method to prolong the longevity of models. animals. Of the different candidates, they found that the antihypertensive drug rilmenidine had the best profile, mimicking the effects of calorie restriction in cells. Tested on young and old worms, the drug has been shown to prolong life in a statistically significant way, compared to what was seen in worms in the control (untreated) group. In addition, some health-related parameters triggered by drug treatment were comparable to those obtained by calorie restriction.
In light of these findings, the study authors believe the drug may also provide anti-aging benefits to our species, safely and effectively. The drug, as stated, is widely prescribed and known side effects are rare (among them palpitations, insomnia and drowsiness). “With an aging global population, the benefits of delaying aging, even slightly, are immense. The reuse of drugs that prolong life and health holds enormous untapped potential in translational geroscience. For the first time, we were able to demonstrate in animals that rilmenidine can increase lifespan. We now look forward to exploring whether rilmenidine may have further clinical applications,” Professor Magalhães said in a press release.
The scientists not only discovered that the compound extends the life of the worms, but that it needs the support of a biological receptor called nish-1 to work. Without it, the anti-aging effects of nematodes disappear. This result suggests that nish-1 might also become a target for future anti-aging treatments. Further investigations will be essential to demonstrate the real effectiveness of rilmenidine in promoting longevity in humans as well. Details of the research “Rilmenidine prolongs the lifespan and health of Caenorhabditis elegans via a nischarin I1-imidazoline receptor” have been published in the specialized scientific journal Aging Cell.
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