Coffee consumption in aged mice increases energy production and decreased hepatic mTOR levels
Nutrition Available online 7 January 2017 Keita Takahashi
Highlights
● We investigated the locomotor activity, energy metabolism, and lipid metabolism of aged mice fed coffee.
● Aged mice that consumed either caffeine-containing regular or decaffeinated coffee had decreased plasma-free fatty acids and increased ATP and total phosphorylated mTOR, which is closely associated with aging, in the liver.
● Consumption of regular coffee increased the food and water intake, locomotor activity, volume of oxygen consumption (VCO2), and respiration exchange ratio (RER) of aged mice.
● Coffee, one of the world’s most consumed beverages, has potential anti-aging effects.
Objective
Coffee, one of the world’s most consumed beverages, has many benefits. Some studies have reported the effects of coffee on aging. In this study, we investigated the locomotor activity, energy metabolism, and lipid metabolism of aged (20-month-old) mice given coffee.
Methods
Aged C57BL/6NCr mice were divided into three groups that were given no coffee (controls, n = 9), 0.1% regular (caffeinated) coffee (n = 9), or 0.1% decaffeinated coffee (n = 9). This regimen continued for 17 weeks until mice reached the age of 24 months.
Results
Regular and decaffeinated coffee consumption decreased plasma-free fatty acid levels, increased hepatic ATP content, and decreased total mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) protein content in the liver. However, no differences were found in the protein or activity levels of Akt, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), p70 S6 kinase (S6K), or sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), proteins that are upstream or downstream of the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1)-related pathways. Regular coffee consumption increased food and water intake, locomotor activity, the volume of carbon dioxide (VCO2) production, and the respiration exchange ratio (RER).
Conclusion
Regular and decaffeinated coffee consumption decreased hepatic total mTOR and p-mTOR levels independently of Akt and AMPK pathways in aged mice. Since decreased mTORC1 activity is known to have anti-aging effects, coffee consumption during old age may retard aging. Moreover, coffee consumption by the aged population had a positive effect on behavioral energy and lipid metabolism.