Investigating the Effect of Fasting on Senescent Cells in Nothobranchius furzeri Fish

Senescent cells (SCs) have been documented to accumulate with age in the organism. Recent studies have shown that reducing the number of SCs in an organism result in tissue rejuvenation and extension of life expectancy. Intermittent fasting is reported to have multiple health benefits and is speculated to reduce the burden of SCs. Nothobranchius furzeri are a new model organism for studying aging and for which there are short- and long-lived strains available. We hypothesize that long- and short-lived strains of N. furzeri will accumulate SCs at different rates; and that fasting will reduce the burden of SCs. The results show that SCs increased in both strains with age, but the GRZ strain accumulated SCs faster. Fasting decreased the SC burden as measured by SA-beta-Gal and H3K9me3 immunoreactivity. This suggests that fasting could be employed as a senolytic intervention to improve health and extend lifespan.