Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphates Accumulate in Aged Tissues
Lipid metabolism is changed and disrupted with advancing age, as is the case for all complex mechanisms in the body. There are a great many different lipids present in the body; even the list of classes of lipid is a long one. Finding specific changes that relate to aging can be interesting, but the challenge lie in better understanding how those changes come about, and whether they causes significant harm to tissues. Many age-related changes in molecular biochemistry are far downstream of the important causes of aging and do not cause much further disruption in and of themselves.
In recent years, laboratory research has shown that we may be able to counteract age-related diseases by intervening in the fundamental processes that lead to ageing. Although science has increasingly mapped out how metabolism changes during aging, large parts remained uncharted. "We wanted to add a new chapter to the atlas. Lipids are an important part of our diet, and crucial for the functioning of our body cells. Specific lipids make up the membrane of cells, which ensures that the inside and outside remain separate."
In order to add this new chapter, the research team investigated how the composition of fats changes in mice. They looked at ten different tissues, including muscles, kidneys, liver and heart. It was noticed that one type of lipid, the bis(monoacylglycero)phosphates (or BMPs), were elevated in all tissues from the older animals. Suggesting an accumulation of these lipids during aging. They then investigated whether this also happens in humans. Although it was not possible to obtain as many different tissues, the accumulation of BMP was also visible in muscle biopsies of older people. Finally, they then completed more muscle biopsies from people before and after a healthy intervention that included one hour of exercise a day and saw the level of BMPs decreased in the active participants.