The loss of antioxidant activities impairs intestinal epithelium homeostasis by altering lipid metabolism.

Reactive oxygens species (ROS) are common byproducts of metabolic reactions and could be at the origin of many diseases of the elderly. Here we investigated the role of ROS in the renewal of the intestinal epithelium in mice lacking catalase (CAT) and/or nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) activities. Cat mice have delayed intestinal epithelium renewal and were prone to develop necrotizing enterocolitis upon starvation.

Reduced lifespan of mice lacking catalase correlates with altered lipid metabolism without oxidative damage or premature aging.

The relationship between the mechanisms that underlie longevity and aging and the metabolic alterations due to feeding conditions has not been completely defined. In the present work, through the deletion of the gene encoding catalase, hydrogen peroxide (HO) was uncovered as a relevant regulator of longevity and of liver metabolism. Mice lacking catalase (Cat) fed ad libitum with a regular diet showed a shorter lifespan than wild type mice, which correlated with reduced body weight, blood glucose levels and liver fat accumulation, but not with increased oxidative damage or consistent premature aging.