Re: DNA And Life

[andrew_mcewan@nrl.moh.govt.nz]

Tom Savin raises a very interesting point.  Perhaps at lowered feeding rates the concentrations in cells of antioxidants and other things that knock
DNA around are reduced so damage events are fewer.  Or perhaps the 'nutrient' concentration in cells is lower so the cell mitotic rate slows down a
notch resulting in a prolonged cell life time.  For the same number of divisions in a cell line the overall lifetime would be extended.

Some questions.  Do rats on low food intake diets have similar cancer rates to rats fed normally?  If the rates are lower but the lifetime incidence
is much the same it could point to an effect at the DNA level.

Just armchair speculation.

Andrew McEwan
_________________________
Andrew C McEwan PhD
National Radiation Laboratory
PO Box 25-099
Christchurch, New Zealand

Ph 64 3 366 5059
Fax 64 3 366 1156
Andrew_McEwan@nrl.moh.govt.nz


************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html