Life extension by diet restriction and N-acetyl-L-cysteine in genetically heterogeneous mice.

We used a heterogeneous stock of mice-UM-HET3, the first generation offspring of CByB6F1/J and C3D2F1/J parents-to test effects of six antiaging treatments on life span. In the first report of diet restriction in a structured, segregating heterogeneous population, we observed essentially the same increases in mean and maximum life span as found in CByB6F1/J hybrid positive controls. We also report results of treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine started at 7 months, and aspirin, nitroflurbiprofen, 4-hydroxy phenyl N-tert-butyl nitrone, and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, all started at 16-18 months. Only male UM-HET3 mice receiving N-acetyl-L-cysteine had significantly increased life span, and this may have been due to treatment-related inadvertent diet restriction. The other agents had no significant effects on life span. The use of UM-HET3 mice helps assure that these results are not the result of unresponsiveness of a single genotype but that they more broadly represent laboratory mice.