Pyrroloquinoline quinone and imidazopyrroloquinoline intake extend healthy lifespan and improve physical dysfunctions with age in mice

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and its derivative imidazopyrroloquinoline (IPQ) are nutritionally important, vitamin-like compounds that exert various physiological effects, including cell-growth promotion, neuroprotection, and stimulations of mitochondriogensis. In this study, we investigated whether PQQ and IPQ act as potential geroprotectors that promote healthy longevity as no lifespan aging intervention experiments have been conducted in mammals to date. We conducted lifelong and midlife 0.02% (w/w) PQQ and 0.02% (w/w) IPQ supplementation experiments using senescenceaccelerated mice P8 strain that have a short lifespan. In lifelong supplementation experiments, the day of 75% survival was prolonged by approximately 60% and 30% in the PQQ and IPQ groups, respectively, compared with that in control. In addition, significant delays in the appearance of aging and age-related neuromuscular dysfunction were observed. Furthermore, intake of PQQ and IPQ diets from midlife improved neuromuscular function that had declined with age. We also found that IPQ intake reduced lipid accumulation in adipose tissue and the liver. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that PQQ and IPQ supplementation, whether initiated early or in middle age, is effective in ameliorating age-related alterations, such as neuromuscular function, and extending healthy lifespan in mammals.