Citrus Compound Reverses Liver Aging in 21-Month Mice by Activating Cisd2

1 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 18

Five months of daily hesperetin restored liver Cisd2 levels in 21-month-old mice to near those seen in 3-month-old mice, while reducing fat buildup, cell damage and inflammation.
RNA sequencing showed the citrus flavonoid shifted aged livers toward a more youthful gene-expression profile, reversing multiple age-linked changes seen in untreated 26-month-old controls.
Cisd2-deficient mice did not benefit from hesperetin, indicating the effect largely depends on that longevity-linked gene; the team said Hmgcs2 and Pparα appear to drive the pathway.
Eighty human non-tumor liver samples also showed age-related declines in PPARα and CISD2 expression, offering a clue the same mechanism may exist in people, though the study does not prove human benefit.