Brief communication: adrenal androgens and aging: female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) compared with women

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.22300/full
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Links to Media http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.22300/full
Publication Type journal article
Creator Hawkes, Kristen
Other Author Blevins, James K.; Coxworth, James E.; Herndon, James G.
Title Brief communication: adrenal androgens and aging: female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) compared with women
Date 2013-01-01
Description Ovarian cycling continues to similar ages in women and chimpanzees yet our nearest living cousins become decrepit during their fertile years and rarely outlive them. Given the importance of estrogen in maintaining physiological systems aside from fertility, similar ovarian aging in humans and chimpanzees combined with somatic aging differences indicates an important role for nonovarian estrogen. Consistent with this framework, researchers have nominated the adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS), which can be peripherally converted to estrogen, as a biomarker of aging in humans and other primates. Faster decline in production of this steroid with age in chimpanzees could help explain somatic aging differences. Here, we report circulating levels of DHEAS in captive female chimpanzees and compare them with published levels in women. Instead of faster, the decline is slower in chimpanzees, but from a much lower peak. Levels reported for other great apes are lower still. These results point away from slowed decline but toward increased DHEAS production as one of the mechanisms underlying the evolution of human longevity.
Type InteractiveResource
Publisher Wiley-Blackwell
Journal Title American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Volume 151
Issue 4
First Page 643
Last Page 648
DOI DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22300
Subject Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; Senescence; Aging rates; Human longevity
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Blevins, J. K., Coxworth, J. E., Herndon, J. G. & Hawkes, K. (2013). Brief communication: adrenal androgens and aging: Female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) compared with women. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 151(4), 643-8.
Rights Management (c) Wiley-Blackwell The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com ; This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Blevins, J. K., Coxworth, J. E., Herndon, J. G. & Hawkes, K. (2013). Brief communication: adrenal androgens and aging: Female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) compared with women. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 151, 643-8, which has been published in final form at DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22300.
Format Medium application/html
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ARK ark:/87278/s6cr93hw
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Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6cr93hw
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