Examples of Aging Research in Rats
Via Ouroboros, an example of the impressive rate at which scientists are producing papers on the biomechanisms of aging in rodent species. "calorie restriction preserves the oxidative capacity, though not the levels of respiratory proteins, in skeletal muscle mitochondria. Dietary restriction was also found to delay the increase of T-kininogen, an immune suppressant previously reported to be a biomarker of aging in the rat, as well as the age-related loss of muscle mass termed sarcopenia ... the protein profile of [sarcopenia is] distinct from that of acute injury-induced muscle atrophy. In other words, in muscle at least, we can begin to distinguish between aging per se and simple 'wear and tear' via a molecular measurement."
Link: http://ouroboros.wordpress.com/2006/08/02/the-week-of-the-rat/