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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.01.12.476126

Rat leukocyte population dynamics predicts a window for intervention in aging.

Beerman, I.·Yanai, H.·Dunn, C.·Park, B.·Coletta, C.·McDevitt, R.·McNeely, T.·Leone, M.·Wersto, R. P.·Perdue, K.
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Abstract

Age-associated changes in human hematopoiesis have been mostly recapitulated in mouse models; but not much has been explored in rats, a physiologically closer model to humans. To establish whether rat hematopoiesis closely mirrors humans, we examined the peripheral blood of rats throughout their lifespan. Significant age-associated changes showed distinctive population shifts predictive of age. A divergence between predicted versus chronological age changes was indicative of fragility; thus, these data may be a valuable tool to identify underlying diseases or as a surrogate predictor for intervention efficacy. Notably, several blood parameters and DNA methylation alterations defined specific leverage points during aging, supporting non-linear aging effects and highlighting a roadmap for interventions at these junctures. Overall, we present a simple set of rat blood metrics that can provide a window into their health and inform the implementation of interventions in a model system physiologically relevant for humans.

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Beerman, I., Yanai, H., Dunn, C., Park, B., Coletta, C., McDevitt, R., McNeely, T., Leone, M., Wersto, R. P., Perdue, K.. 2022-01-14. Rat leukocyte population dynamics predicts a window for intervention in aging.. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.12.476126

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