LAUSR

Centenarians exhibit extreme longevity showing a compression of morbidity. We showed previously that microRNA expression profiles and plasma protein carbonylation in centenarians and young people are similar, whereas they are very different from that found in old individuals. This suggests that centenarians have a better control of homeostasis and are protected against oxidative damage. In this study, we aimed to determine if such characteristic microRNA expression profile and lower protein oxidation status in centenarians may be inherited by their offspring. For this purpose, we collected plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 90 septuagenarians, 68 centenarians and 46 centenarian offspring. MicroRNA expression profile was performed using the Genechip miRNA 2.0 Array and protein carbonylation by "OxyBlot TM Protein Oxidation Detection kit". Our results showed that microRNA expression pattern in centenarians is similar to centenarian offspring and different to septuagenarians. We observed a significant decrease in plasma protein carbonylation levels in centenarians and centenarian offspring when compared to septuagenarians. In conclusion, centenarian offspring resemble centenarian characteristics, and could be a model of healthy aging in humans.