Dietary and Gut Microbiota Polyamines in Obesity- and Age-Related Diseases.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing preclinical mechanisms and animal model data
PubMed 30923709 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00024
What was done
This narrative review synthesized evidence regarding polyamine (putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and agmatine) metabolism, cellular transport, and regulation by antizymes and antizyme inhibitors. It examined how dietary intake and gut microbiome production influence systemic polyamine levels and evaluated findings from animal models regarding aging, longevity, and diet-induced obesity.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative values or effect sizes. Qualitatively, it reports that intracellular and circulating polyamine levels decrease during aging. In animal models, exogenous administration or gut microbial synthesis of spermidine and spermine improved glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, reduced adiposity and hepatic fat accumulation, conferred cardioprotection, and extended lifespan in mice. Exogenous agmatine also improved glucose metabolism and showed cardioprotective effects in obese models.
Why it matters
This review highlights the metabolic and longevity-modulating potential of manipulating dietary and microbiome-derived polyamines. It frames polyamine pathway modulation as a candidate strategy for addressing obesity and age-related metabolic dysregulation.
Limits
The findings discussed in the abstract are based almost entirely on preclinical rodent models and mechanistic reasoning, with no human clinical trial data presented. As a narrative review, it lacks systematic search methodology, structured quality assessment of included studies, and quantitative meta-analysis.
Cited by
- context Approximately one-third of the spermidine in the human body is produced by the intestinal microbiota.