[extropy-chat] where to go with supplementation in a post-Nick-Lane world ?

[Robert Bradbury]

On 9/25/06, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:
>
>
> What do you think about metformin?


It has merit but I haven't studied exactly how it works.  If it is acting by
limiting cellular glucose uptake then I would wonder the extent to which
cells will switch to fat metabolism.  That isn't going to help if the goal
is to reduce oxygen consumption.

It is worth noting the recent papers where it is revealed that the CLK gene
is involved in a critical aspect of ubiquinone (CoQ10) synthesis.  While
no-CoQ10 seems to be fatal during development, hemizygous mice for the CLK
gene do have an extended lifespan.  That would argue that if there are
supplements (drugs?) which inhibit CoQ10 synthesis they should have lifespan
extending effects.  It might also imply that CoQ10 supplements (and meat
consumption) are in general a bad idea (which should send shivers through
the people supplementing with CoQ10).

It is the delivery of the free electron from CoQ10 to O2 which creates the
superoxide which in turn becomes the hydrogen peroxide which can diffuse to
the nucleus where it becomes a trouble maker.  Remove either of the two
upstream actors (CoQ10 or O2) and you remove the source of the problem.
That sounds much better than the downstream band aids involving free radical
quenchers.

Robert
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