Lifespan extension in female mice by early, transient exposure to adult female olfactory cues

Abstract

Several previous lines of research have suggested, indirectly, that mouse lifespan is particularly susceptible to endocrine or nutritional signals in the first few weeks of life, as tested by manipulations of litter size, growth hormone levels, or mutations with effects specifically on early-life growth rate. The pace of early development in mice can also be influenced by exposure of nursing and weanling mice to olfactory cues. In particular, odors of same-sex adult mice can in some circumstances delay maturation. We hypothesized that olfactory information might also have a sex-specific effect on lifespan, and we show here that lifespan of female mice can be increased significantly by odors from adult females administered transiently, i.e. from 3 days until 60 days of age. Female lifespan was not modified by male odors, nor was male lifespan susceptible to odors from adults of either sex. Conditional deletion of the G protein Gαo in the olfactory system, which leads to impaired accessory olfactory system function and blunted reproductive priming responses to male odors in females, did not modify the effect of female odors on female lifespan. Our data provide support for the idea that very young mice are susceptible to influences that can have long-lasting effects on health maintenance in later life, and provide a potential example of lifespan extension by olfactory cues in mice.

Female scent accelerates growth of juvenile male mice

“…Such desensitization was another reason that these authors cautioned against drawing conclusions from their negative results. A recently published study on laboratory mice found no evidence that exposure to adult urine affected the growth of either sex 44 , in contrast to a previous study that reported that exposure to the urine of adult virgin females reduced female growth 45 . Interestingly, this recent study found that exposing female mice to the urine of adult females (but not males) increased their longevity (8% in median lifespan), though exposing males to adult urine from either sex had no such effects 44 .…”

“…A recently published study on laboratory mice found no evidence that exposure to adult urine affected the growth of either sex 44 , in contrast to a previous study that reported that exposure to the urine of adult virgin females reduced female growth 45 . Interestingly, this recent study found that exposing female mice to the urine of adult females (but not males) increased their longevity (8% in median lifespan), though exposing males to adult urine from either sex had no such effects 44 . Taken together, these studies indicate that exposure to the urine of conspecifics have surprising effects on growth, sexual maturation and even longevity, however, it is unclear how to explain the discrepancies among the studies.…”

A mathematical model that predicts human biological age from physiological traits identifies environmental and genetic factors that influence aging

“…Like the vasculature, the sympathetic nervous system impacts the function of many peripheral organs, and synapse function plays a critical role in the function and the maintenance of the CNS. Hints of such an association have come from genetics studies of worms (Apfeld and Kenyon, 1999; Li et al, 2016), flies (Libert et al, 2007) and laboratory rodents (Garratt et al, 2022; Zullo et al, 2019). It is possible that synapse function accounts for the association of computer gaming with ΔAge.…”

A Year at the Forefront of Proteostasis and Aging

“…This is accompanied by lifespan extension and reduced accumulation of toxic polyglutamine expansions ( De-Souza et al, 2022a preprint). In parallel, another group observed that exposure to a specific odour (urine) extends the lifespan of female mice ( Garratt et al, 2022 preprint). Identifying strategies for keeping stress responses functional as we age, particularly in the brain, is a promising area of study that may have an impact on age-related disorders.…”