1 reply to this topic

[Chupo]

The' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3076631/']The ketogenic diet (KD) is an effective treatment for epilepsy, but its mechanisms of action are poorly understood. We investigated the hypothesis that the KD inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway signaling. The expression of pS6 and pAkt, markers of mTOR pathway activation, was reduced in hippocampus and liver of rats fed KD. In the kainate model of epilepsy, KD blocked the hippocampal pS6 elevation that occurs after status epilepticus. Because mTOR signaling has been implicated in epileptogenesis, these results suggest that the KD may have anticonvulsant or antiepileptogenic actions via mTOR pathway inhibition.

In summary, this study demonstrates that KD inhibits mTOR pathway signaling in the brain and liver of healthy rats, and prevents late hippocampal mTOR activation after KA-induced SE. This mTOR inhibition may underlie some of the physiological effects of KD, including growth impairment, anticonvulsant actions, and potential antiepileptogenic effects. Further studies are necessary to prove a causal relationship between mTOR inhibition and antiepileptogenic actions of the KD.

→ source (external link)

[chung_pao]

"Decreased TOR activity has been found to slow aging in S. cerevisiae, C. elegans, and D. melanogaster.^{[41][42][43][44]} The mTOR inhibitorrapamycin has been confirmed to increase lifespan in mice by independent groups at the Jackson Laboratory, University of Texas Health Science Center, and the University of Michigan.^[45]
It's hypothesized that some dietary regimes, like caloric restriction and methionine restriction, cause lifespan extension by decreasing mTOR activity.^[41][42] But infusion of leucine into the rat brain has been shown to decrease food intake and body weight via activation of the mTOR pathway.<sup>[46]"

Cool.
But does this mean inhibition of mTOR also inhibits protein synthesis?</sup>

Edited by chung_pao, 29 December 2012 - 02:14 AM.