Decrease in Polyamines with Aging and Their Ingestion from Food and Drink

Abstract

Changes in polyamine levels during aging were measured in 3-, 10- and 26-week-old female mice. The level of polyamines in pancreas, brain, and uterus was maintained during these periods. The level of spermidine slightly decreased in intestine, and decreased significantly in thymus, spleen, ovary, liver, stomach, lung, kidney, heart and muscle during these periods. In skin, the level of spermidine was maximal in 10-week-old mice and markedly reduced in 26-week-old mice. The results suggest that maintenance of polyamine levels may play important roles in the function of the pancreas, brain and uterus in 3- to 26-week-old mice. We next looked for polyamine-rich food materials as a dietary source of polyamines. Foods found to be rich in polyamines included wheat germ, rice bran, black rice, Philippine mango, green pepper, Japanese pumpkin, nuts, fermented pickles, pond smelt, turban shell viscera, whelk viscera, salted salmon roe, salted cod roe, beef intestine (boiled) and liver of eel, beef, pork and chicken; and, as previously reported, soybean, fermented soybean (natto), mushrooms, orange and green tea leaf. These results offer useful information when it becomes necessary to ingest polyamines from food.

Long-Term Oral Polyamine Intake Increases Blood Polyamine Concentrations

“…In animal experiments, the concentrations of spermine and spermidine in chows were estimated based on the information published previously on polyamine concentrations in daily foods, and on the subacute toxicity of polyamines (3,(12)(13)(14)17). High polyamine chow was prepared so that the concentrations of spermine and spermidine were approximately 2-3 fold higher than the concentrations in cheese and soybeans, and the polyamine concentrations in the experimental chows are far below toxic levels (14,17).…”

“…Test diets for the animal experiments were prepared by eliminating polyamine-rich materials from standard rodent chow (CE-2, CLEA Japan, Inc., Tokyo, Japan). Since soybean and soybean products contain highly concentrated polyamines (12)(13)(14), soybean cake, a major ingredient of commercially prepared chow, was replaced with casein as the protein source, and soybean oil was replaced with lard as the source of fat. The complete ingredients and nutrition content of the test diets are shown in Table 1.…”

Relaxant Effect of Spermidine on Acethylcholine and High K+-induced Gastric Contractions of Guinea-Pig

“…These compounds are synthesized inside of cell (Hougaard, 1987) and/or taken up from blood into cells after food intake in the gut (Nishimura, 2006;Wery, 1996). And intracellular concentration of spermidine (and/or spermine) in guinea-pig taenia coli and ileum ranges from between 0.1 to 0.2 mmol/L (Swärd et al, 1994;Nilsson & Hellstrand, 1993).…”

“…Polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are natural compounds present in high concentrations (millimolar range) in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells (Igarashi & Kashiwagi, 2000;Nishimura et al, 2006). In general, they are associated with pathologic functions and play an important role in cell growth and differentiation (Fernández et al, 1995).…”

Biological Effects of Polyamines on the Prevention of Aging-associated Diseases and on Lifespan Extension

“…The foods that have a close relationship with an increased incidence of aging-associated diseases include Western desserts made from butter, cream, milk, egg, sugar, and animal fats that contain little polyamines (B. G. Cipolla et al, 2007;Nishibori et al, 2006;Nishimura et al, 2006;Soda, 2012).…”