L-DEPRENYL TREATMENT IN AGED MICE SLIGHTLY INCREASES LIFE SPANS, AND GREATLY REDUCES FECUNDITY BY AGED MALES

Male and female B6D2F1 (C57BL/6J x DBA/2J)F1 and B6CBAF1 (C57BL/6J x C BA/CaHT6J)F1 mice were injected subcutaneously 3 times a week with L-d eprenyl (0.25 mg/kg) starting at mean ages of 26 months and 18.5 month s, respectively. Life spans of aging mice were increased 6-9% by the d rug. While none of the life span effects were significant for a single genotype and gender, life spans were significantly longer in L-depren yl-treated animals (p = .011) when all data were combined. L-deprenyl- injected mice consumed about the same amounts of food as controls: L-d eprenyl3.1 g/day, control 3.3 g/day, after 7 months of treatment. Ther e were no significant effects of L-deprenyl on measures of changes wit h age in the following biological systems: activity, excitement, red b lood cell mass, collagen denaturation rate, and wound healing rate. L- deprenyl-treated B6CBAF1 males and females were significantly heavier than controls after 4-6 months of treatment. To measure fecundity, B6C BAF1 males at an average age of 750 days were each caged with two youn g B6 females; 10 of 17 L-deprenyl-injected males sired an average of 3 1.3 pups per male, while 14 of 24 controls sired 82.1 pups per male.