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Many countries are witnessing a marked increase in longevity and with this increased lifespan and the desire for healthy ageing, many, however, suffer from the opposite including mental and physical deterioration, lost productivity and quality of life, and increased medical costs. While adequate nutrition is fundamental for good health, it remains unclear what impact various dietary interventions may have on prolonging good quality of life. Studies which span age, geography and income all suggest that access to quality foods, host immunity and response to inflammation/infections, impaired senses (i.e., sight, taste, smell) or mobility are all factors which can limit intake or increase the body’s need for specific micronutrients. New clinical studies of healthy ageing are needed and quantitative biomarkers are an essential component, particularly tools which can measure improvements in physiological integrity throughout life, thought to be a primary contributor to a long and productive life (a healthy “lifespan”). A framework for progress has recently been proposed in a WHO report which takes a broad, person-centered focus on healthy ageing, emphasizing the need to better understand an individual’s intrinsic capacity, their functional abilities at various life stages, and the impact by mental, and physical health, and the environments they inhabit.

Earlier studies indicated that the hepatocarcinogenic activity of two peroxisome proliferators (PP) Wy-14,643 and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) correlated to the degree of lipofuscin accumulation and sustained cell replication rather than the level of peroxisome induction. This study extends the comparison of peroxisome proliferation, lipofuscin accumulation and cell replication responses in rats fed (i) clofibric acid at 5000 p.p.m. (CA), a regimen of moderate hepatocarcinogenicity; (ii) Wy-14,643 at 50 p.p.m. (WYLD), a dose of unknown hepatocarcinogenicity; and (iii) Wy-14,643 at 1000 p.p.m. (WYHD), as the highly hepatocarcinogenic regimen. Adult male F344 rats were fed the experimental diets for 1, 2, 5, 11 or 22 weeks. Relative liver weights (% of body weight) were increased in rats fed CA (1.6- to 1.7-fold), WYHD or WYLD (2.0- to 2.7-fold), compared to controls (approximately 3%) at all time points. All rats fed CA, WYHD or WYLD had similar hepatic peroxisome proliferation at all time points with large elevations in peroxisomal enzyme activities and number, size and mean volume of peroxisomes. In contrast, hepatocytic lipofuscin accumulation differed between treatments, with a decreasing order of accumulation observed in WYHD greater than WYLD approximately equal to CA greater than controls. Replicative DNA synthesis (as assessed by nuclear labeling index, LI) in nonlesion hepatocytes was markedly elevated at 1 week by both WYHD and WYLD (45- and 40-fold over controls respectively) while CA induced a 10-fold response over controls (control LI less than or equal to 1%). From week 2 to week 22 the hepatocytic LI was sustained in WYHD and WYLD rats (8- and 4-fold over controls respectively) but not in CA-rats, as compared to controls. In contrast to the cell replication response, apoptosis was elevated only in WYHD at 22 weeks. Collectively, this study supports the conclusion that neither hepatomegaly nor peroxisome proliferation are accurate predictors of carcinogenic activity for PP. Further, these results suggest that if lipofuscin accumulation or sustained cell turnover are indicators of PP-induced carcinogenesis, then WYLD should be at least as carcinogenic as CA. The moderate carcinogenic activity of CA also suggests that additional factor(s) may be necessary besides lipofuscin accumulation and sustained cell replication to determine the ultimate carcinogenic activity of PP.

Quantitative comparisons of the time course of biochemical and morphological changes induced by peroxisome proliferators resulting in low and high incidences of hepatic cancer have not been conducted previously under bioassay conditions. [4-Chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidyl-thio]acetic acid (Wy-14,643) at 0.1% in the diet produced a much higher incidence of hepatic cancer in male rats than 1.2% di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in the diet. Both diets, however, caused similar degrees of peroxisome proliferation. To investigate this difference in carcinogenicity, H2O2-detoxification mechanisms and indices of oxidative damage were evaluated in male F-344 rats fed 1.2% DEHP or 0.1% Wy-14,643 for up to one year. DEHP or Wy-14,643 treatment increased hepatic catalase activity approximately 25% from 8 to 365 days. DEHP or Wy-14,643 treatment decreased hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity by 50% from 8 to 365 days. Glutathione concentrations were not affected by 151 days of DEHP or Wy-14,643 feeding. The similar effects of DEHP and Wy on H2O2 detoxification enzymes and glutathione concentrations suggests that these factors are not responsible for the widely different carcinogenicities of Wy-14,643 and DEHP. Hepatic vitamin E concentrations were 50% lower in rats receiving Wy-14,643 for 151 days as compared to rats fed DEHP or control diets. Lipofuscin, which was contained within lysosomes, was increased 3-fold after 39 days of DEHP and remained at this level up to 365 days of treatment. In comparison, lipofuscin was increased 4-fold after 18 days of Wy-14,643 and continued to accumulate in a linear manner reaching values 30-fold over controls after 365 days of treatment. DEHP treatment for 39-365 days increased the activities of the lysosomal enzymes alpha-fucosidase, beta-galactosidase and N-acetylglucosaminidase 50-100%. The same enzyme activities were increased approximately 4-fold after 39-365 days of Wy-14,643. Lysosomal cathepsin B activity was unchanged by DEHP but doubled by 151 and 365 days of Wy-14,643. Acid phosphatase activity was unchanged by DEHP but increased by 50% after 151 and 365 days of Wy-14,643. In addition, conjugated dienes were increased (approximately 45%) only in rats receiving Wy-14,643 for 151 and 365 days. These data show for the first time that the magnitude and time course of lipofuscin deposition, induction of lysosomal enzymes and conjugated diene accumulation, is correlated closely with the degree of carcinogenicity. Wy-14,643-induced decreases in hepatic vitamin E concentrations could contribute to the observed accumulation of conjugated dienes at later time points.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)