Bioregulator Vilon-induced reactivation of chromatin in cultured lymphocytes from old people

Lezhava T, Khavison V, Monaselidze J, Jokhadze T, Dvalishvili N, Bablishvili N, Barbakadze S. Biogerontology. 2004.

Organ: thymus-immune · Type: in-vitro · Peptides: Vilon

In cultured lymphocytes from donors aged 76–81, Vilon 0.01 µg/ml was reported to decondense facultative heterochromatin and reactivate nucleolus-organizer ribosomal genes, without opening pericentromeric C-heterochromatin.

Editorial summary of a 2004 original article in Biogerontology. Cytogenetic and calorimetric work on donor lymphocytes. Public pages cite PubMed only. Read the paper: PMID 15105581.

Methods

Forty-six lymphocyte cultures from 27 healthy donors aged 76–81 (Tbilisi boarding house) and 12 cultures from 8 donors aged 26–35. Paired intact and Vilon-treated cultures from each person. Vilon (Lys-Glu) at 0.01 µg/ml was added at the start of a 72-hour incubation. Heterochromatin was assessed by differential scanning microcalorimetry on unstimulated lymphocytes, Ag-NOR staining and satellite associations on acrocentric chromosomes, C-banding of pericentromeric heterochromatin, sister-chromatid exchange, and chromosome-aberration counts (1676 metaphases from old donors; 712 from young).

Findings

The authors report that Vilon unrolled total heterochromatin, reactivated nucleolus-organizer ribosomal genes, and released genes they attribute to facultative heterochromatin, while pericentromeric structural heterochromatin stayed condensed. They interpret this as progressive deheterochromatinization of facultative chromatin with aging under Vilon.

This is a single in-vitro cytogenetic communication. It is not a clinical trial and not an immune-product claim. Follow the PMID.