Core Leader: James Nelson, PhD
Core Co-leader: Randy Strong PhD
Core Supervisor: Vivian Diaz

The Aging Animal and Longevity Assessment Core plays a crucial role in helping investigators establish whether aging has been altered in their animal models.  If lifespan is extended, strong evidence is provided that the aging process has been influenced by the intervention under study.  However, increased lifespan alone is insufficient to indicate broad anti-aging actions and therefore must be complemented by other measures. These are provided by the Healthspan and Functional Assessment Core and the Pathology Core, as well as specific measurements made by investigators testing their own hypotheses concerning aging processes. 

The Aging Animal and Longevity and Assessment Core maintains and monitors aging colonies of new and established rodent models, determines longevity, and distributes these animals to investigators for basic research on aging.

CORE SERVICES:

• Breed and maintain new and established rodent models to provide investigators with resources to study the mechanisms of aging and age-related disease processes;
• Conduct lifespan studies of genetically, nutritionally or pharmacologically manipulated models according to the requirements of investigators funded by the NIA and other granting sources;
• Provide animal models of exceptional biogerontological interest for baseline pilot studies;
• Provide diets containing rapamycin and other drugs to the biogerontological community at large;
• Educate and advise faculty, fellows and students in animal husbandry and experimental design specific to the use of animals in aging research.

FEES:
Services are partially underwritten by the NIA Nathan Shock Center.  To ensure cost recovery, fees in addition to LAR per diem are charged.  Contact the Core Leader or Core Supervisor for details.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS UTILIZING THE CORE:

• Strong, R., Miller, R., Astle, C., Floyd, R., Flurkey, K., Hensley, K., Javors, M., Leeuwenburgh, C., Nelson, J., Ongini, E., et al. (2008). Nordihydroguaiaretic acid and aspirin increase lifespan of genetically heterogeneous male mice. Aging Cell. 7, 641-50.

• Bokov, A.F., Lindsey, M.L., Khodr, C., Sabia, M.R., and Richardson, A. (2009). Long-Lived Ames Dwarf Mice Are Resistant to Chemical Stressors.J. Gerontol. 64,819-827.
• Harrison, D., Strong, R., Sharp, Z., Nelson, J., Astle, C., Flurkey, K., Nadon, N.,Wilkinson, J., Frenkel, K., Carter, C., Pahor, M., Javors, M.A., Fernandez, E.and Miller, R.A. (2009). Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice. Nature 2009, 460, 392-395.
  
• Jang, Y.C., Pérez,V.I., Song, W., Lustgarten, M.S., Salmon, A.B., Mele, J., Qi, W., Liu, Y., Liang, H., Chaudhuri, A., Ikeno, Y., Epstein, C.J., Van Remmen, H., and Richardson A. Overexpression of Mn Superoxide Dismutase Does Not Increase Life Span in Mice.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 64, 1114-1125.
• Liang, H., Balas, B., Tantiwong, P., Dube, J., Goodpaster, B., O'Doherty, R., DeFronzo,R., Richardson, A., Musi, N., and Ward, W. (2009). Whole body overexpression of PGC-1α has opposite effects on hepatic and muscle insulin sensitivity. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 296, E945-954.
• Liao, C., Rikke, B., Johnson, T., Diaz, V., and Nelson, J. (2009) Genetic Variation in the Murine Lifespan Responseto Dietary Restriction: from Life Extension to Life Shortening. Aging Cell. In press.
  
• Liu, X.,Liu, M., Zhang, J., Bai, X., Ramos, F., Van Remmen, H., Richardson, A., Liu, F., Dong, L., and Liu, F. (2009). Downregulation of Grb2 contributes to the insulin-sensitizing effect of calorie restriction. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab., E1067-1075.
• Lustgarten, M., Jang, Y., Liu, Y., Muller, F., Qi, W., Steinhelper, M., Brooks, S., Larkin, L.M., Shimizu, T., Shirasawa, T., McManus, L., Bhattacharya, A., Richardson, A., and Van, Remmen, H. (2009). Conditional knockout of MnSOD targeted to type IIB skeletal muscle fibers increases oxidative stress and is sufficient to alter aerobic exercise capacity. Am. J. Physiol Cell Physiol. 297, C1520-C1532.
• Pérez,V.I., Bokov, A., Van Remmen, Holly., Mele, J., Ran, Q., Ikeno, Y., and Richardson, A. (2009). Is the Oxidative Theory of Aging Dead?  Bioch Biophys Acta 1790, 1005-1014.
• Pérez,V., Van Remmen, H., Bokov, A., Epstein, C., Vijg, J., Richardson, A. (2009). The overexpression of major antioxidant enzymes does not extend the lifespan of mice. Aging Cell. 8, 73-75.
• Zhang, Y., Ikeno, Y.,Qi, W., Chaudhuri, A., Li, Y., Bokov, A., Thorpe, S.R., Baynes, J., Epstein,C.J., Richardson, A., and Van Remmen, H. (2009). Mice deficient in both MnSOD and Gpx-1 have increased oxidative damage and a greater incidence of pathology but no reduction in longevity. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 64,1212-1220.