Na Hyun-Jin, Park Joung-Sun
Aging and Metabolism Research Group, Division of Food Functionality Research, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju, Korea.
Institute of Nanobio Convergence, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea.
Bio Protoc. 2025 May 5;15(9):e5305. doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.5305.
One of the major factors contributing to aging and age-related diseases is the well-understood decline in the function of adult stem cells. Quantifying the degree of aging in adult stem cells is essential for advancing anti-aging mechanisms and developing anti-aging agents. However, no systematic approach to this exists. In this study, we developed a method to quantitatively assess the degree of aging in adult intestinal stem cells using a midgut model and two aging markers. First, aging was induced in with the desired genotype, and the anti-aging agent was administered 7 days before dissection. Then, the levels of two intestinal stem cell aging markers found in (PH3 and γ-tubulin) were measured using immunohistochemistry. Finally, fluorescence microscopy was employed to count the number of aging markers and take images, which were analyzed using image analysis software. Using this approach, we quantitatively analyzed the effects of anti-aging agents on the aging of adult intestinal stem cells. This methodology is expected to significantly expedite the development of anti-aging agents and substantially reduce the research costs associated with aging-related studies. Key features • PH3 and γ-tubulin serve as reliable markers for quantitatively assessing aging in intestinal stem cells. • This method for discovering anti-aging agents involves processes such as aging induction, treatment with anti-aging agents, dissection, fixation, antibody staining, and analysis of the results. • Vitamin D, similar to metformin and β-hydroxybutyrate, is an anti-aging agent. • Quantitative analysis of adult stem cell aging will enable the rapid and accurate identification of anti-aging agents and efficacy validation.
导致衰老和与年龄相关疾病的主要因素之一是成体干细胞功能的下降,这一点已得到充分理解。量化成体干细胞的衰老程度对于推进抗衰老机制和开发抗衰老药物至关重要。然而,目前尚不存在针对此的系统方法。在本研究中,我们开发了一种方法,使用中肠模型和两种衰老标记物来定量评估成体肠道干细胞的衰老程度。首先,诱导具有所需基因型的个体衰老,并在解剖前7天给予抗衰老药物。然后,使用免疫组织化学法测量在个体中发现的两种肠道干细胞衰老标记物(PH3和γ-微管蛋白)的水平。最后,采用荧光显微镜计数衰老标记物的数量并拍摄图像,使用图像分析软件进行分析。通过这种方法,我们定量分析了抗衰老药物对成体肠道干细胞衰老的影响。这种方法有望显著加快抗衰老药物的开发,并大幅降低与衰老相关研究的成本。关键特性 • PH3和γ-微管蛋白可作为定量评估肠道干细胞衰老的可靠标记物。 • 这种发现抗衰老药物的方法涉及衰老诱导、抗衰老药物处理、解剖、固定、抗体染色和结果分析等过程。 • 维生素D与二甲双胍和β-羟基丁酸酯类似,是一种抗衰老药物。 • 对成体干细胞衰老进行定量分析将能够快速准确地鉴定抗衰老药物并验证其疗效。