SAT033 Disruption Of GHR In “Middle Aged” Mice Enhances Insulin Sensitivity And Extends Male Lifespan

Disclosure: S. Duran-Ortiz: None. E.O. List: None. J.A. Young: None. S.C. Mathes: None. R. Basu: None. Y.B. Slama: None. D.E. Berryman: None. Reduced growth hormone (GH) action has been shown to extend healthspan and lifespan in several organisms. In fact, mice and humans with a congenital disruption in the GH receptor (R) gene (GHRKO mice and patients with Laron Syndrome, respectively) have improved insulin sensitivity and are resistant to diabetes, cancer and age-associated cognitive decline. Importantly, the GHRKO mice hold the record for the longest-lived laboratory mice, with a lifespan one week shy of five years of age. GHRKO mice also show reduced markers of aging such as adipose tissue senescence and mTORC1 signaling in liver, kidney, heart and muscle. However, as GH action is required for normal growth and development, we and others have hypothesized that targeted inhibition of GH action at an adult age could be a potent method to extend healthy lifespan. To test this hypothesis and to elucidate how far in development would disruption of GHR extend healthy lifespan, our laboratory recently reported on two mouse lines with post-natal ablation of the GHR at a pubertal age (1.5 months - 1.5mGHRKO mice) and at mature-adult age (6 months - 6mGHRKO mice). We found that ablation of the GHR gene at both 1.5- and 6-months of age extends maximal and mean lifespan preferentially in females. Furthermore, 6mGHRKO mice showed improved oxidative stress resistance while males had improved insulin sensitivity and reduced cancer incidence. With these promising results, we believe that interventions to extend aging should be effective when administered later in life. In the current study, we disrupted the GHR in middle aged mice (12 months - 12mGHRKO mice) using the Cre-Lox system. We found that 12mGHRKO mice exhibit GH insensitivity (high serum GH and low IGF-1 levels), increased adipose tissue mass, reduced lean mass, minimal impact on body weight and length, improved insulin sensitivity and reduced glucose levels in males as well as decreased adipose tissue fibrosis in females compared to males. Moreover, despite the increased fat mass, motor coordination and strength as measured by rotarod and grip strength tests show no deficit in 12mGHRKO mice compared to the controls. Importantly, the male 12mGHRKO mice showed a preferential and significant lifespan extension compared to control mice. Collectively, our results indicate that not only does post-natal GHR disruption does not affect growth and development, but it also confers several crucial healthspan and lifespan advantages. Acknowledgements: This work is supported by the State of Ohio's Eminent Scholar Program, by NIH grant AG059779, by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and by the Diabetes Institute and by the AMVETS. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023