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Sirtuin EnzymesSignificantly, research has found that one of the reasons why calorie restriction significantly prolongs life in animal studies, is because the bodily changes that the diet causes in animals include activating sirtuins, which regulate aging related genes, especially Sir2. Studies have also found there to be Sirtuin-activating compounds, of which resveratrol has proven particularly interesting. Resveratrol is a small molecule present in red wine and manufactured by a variety of plants when they are under stressful conditions, which is an interesting comparison to the way animal bodies go under stress on calorie restriction. Adding resveratrol to yeast, worms or flies diet or placing them on a calorie restricted diet extends their life spans about 30 percent, but only if they possess the SIR2 gene. However, in addition to Resveratrol, there are at least 18 other compounds produced by plants in response to stress that have also been found to modulate Sirtuins. The mammalian version of the SIR2 gene is known as SIRT1. Sirtuin Enzymes - StudiesMechanism of Human SIRT1 Activation by Resveratrol. M. T. Borra, B. C. Smith, and J. M. Denu. J. Biol. Chem., April 29, 2005; 280(17): 17187 - 17195. Sirtuin activators mimic caloric restriction and delay ageing in metazoans. Jason G. Wood et al. Nature 430, 686-689(5 August 2004). Resveratrol improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet. Joseph A. Baur et al. Nature 444, 337-342 (16 November 2006). Parker AJ, Arango M, Abderrahmane S, et al. Resveratrol rescues mutant polyglutamine cytotoxicity in nematode and mammalian neurons. Med Sci (Paris). 2005 May;21(5):556-7. Chen J, Zhou Y, Mueller-Steiner S, et al. SIRT1 protects against microglia-dependent amyloid-beta toxicity through inhibiting NF-kappaB signaling. J Biol Chem. 2005 Dec 2;280(48):40364-74.
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