The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases with age. Cellular senescence refers to a state of irreversible cell-cycle arrest combined with the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and mitochondrial dysfunction. Senescent cells contribute to age-related tissue degeneration. Here we show that the accumulation of senescent cells promotes hepatic fat accumulation and steatosis. We report a close correlation between hepatic fat accumulation and markers of hepatocyte senescence. The elimination of senescent cells by suicide gene-meditated ablation of p16Ink4a-expressing senescent cells in INK-ATTAC mice or by treatment with a combination of the senolytic drugs dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q) reduces overall hepatic steatosis. Conversely, inducing hepatocyte senescence promotes fat accumulation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we show that mitochondria in senescent cells lose the ability to metabolize fatty acids efficiently. Our study demonstrates that cellular senescence drives hepatic steatosis and elimination of senescent cells may be a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce steatosis.

DNA repair-deficient Ercc1Δ/− mice show numerous accelerated aging features limiting lifespan to 4–6 month1–4. Simultaneously they exhibit a ‘survival response’, which suppresses growth and enhances maintenance, resembling the anti-aging response induced by dietary restriction (DR)1,5. Here we report that subjecting these progeroid, dwarf mutants to 30% DR tripled median and maximal remaining lifespan, and drastically retarded numerous aspects of accelerated aging, e.g. DR animals retained 50% more neurons and maintained full motoric function, even far beyond the lifespan of ad libitum (AL) animals. Repair-deficient, progeroid Xpg−/− mice, a Cockayne syndrome model6, responded similarly, extending this observation to other repair mutants. The DR response in Ercc1Δ/− mice closely resembled DR in wild type animals. Interestingly, AL Ercc1Δ/− liver showed preferential extinction of expression of long genes, a phenomenon we also observe in several normal aging tissues. This is consistent with accumulation of stochastic, transcription-blocking lesions, affecting long genes more than short ones. DR largely prevented declining transcriptional output and reduced γH2AX DNA damage foci, indicating that DR preserves genome function by alleviating DNA damage. Our findings establish Ercc1Δ/− mice as powerful model for interventions sustaining health, reveal untapped potential for reducing endogenous damage, provide new venues for understanding the molecular mechanism of DR, and suggest a counterintuitive DR-like therapy for human progeroid genome instability syndromes and possibly neurodegeneration in general.

Background The use of Akkermansia muciniphila as potential therapeutic intervention is receiving increasing attention. Health benefits attributed to this bacterium include an improvement of metabolic disorders and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. The abundance of A. muciniphila is associated with a healthy gut in early mid- and later life. However, the effects of A. muciniphila on a decline in intestinal health during the aging process are not investigated yet. We supplemented accelerated aging Ercc1 −/Δ7 mice with A. muciniphila for 10 weeks and investigated histological, transcriptional and immunological aspects of intestinal health. Results The thickness of the colonic mucus layer increased about 3-fold after long-term A. muciniphila supplementation and was even significantly thicker compared to mice supplemented with Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1. Colonic gene expression profiles pointed towards a decreased expression of genes and pathways related to inflammation and immune function, and suggested a decreased presence of B cells in colon. Total B cell frequencies in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were not altered after A. muciniphila supplementation. Mature and immature B cell frequencies in bone marrow were increased, whereas B cell precursors were unaffected. These findings implicate that B cell migration rather than production was affected by A. muciniphila supplementation. Gene expression profiles in ileum pointed toward a decrease in metabolic- and immune-related processes and antimicrobial peptide production after A. muciniphila supplementation. Besides, A. muciniphila decreased the frequency of activated CD80 + CD273 − B cells in Peyer’s patches. Additionally, the increased numbers of peritoneal resident macrophages and a decrease in Ly6C int monocyte frequencies in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes add evidence for the potentially anti-inflammatory properties of A. muciniphila . Conclusions Altogether, we show that supplementation with A. muciniphila prevented the age-related decline in thickness of the colonic mucus layer and attenuated inflammation and immune-related processes at old age. This study implies that A. muciniphila supplementation can contribute to a promotion of healthy aging. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12979-019-0145-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.