Roles of Nutritional Selenium in Mouse Aging and Age-Related Degenerations

The study explored the role of selenium (Se) at nutritional intake levels in aging, using a mouse model with short telomeres to better mimic human aging. Researchers fed weanling late generation Terc-/- mice a Se-deficient diet or a diet supplemented with selenate (0.15 ppm) throughout their lives. The study found that Se deficiency led to health span deterioration, evidenced by changes in metabolic markers and aging phenotypes such as grey hair, alopecia, and impaired wound healing. The research also involved profiling over 800 microRNAs in plasma to identify key circulatory mediators during aging. This model provided insights into the effects of Se deficiency on aging, overcoming limitations of previous models with longer telomeres.