Hormetic Mechanisms of Anti-Aging and Rejuvenating Effects of Repeated Mild Heat Stress on

The phenomenon of hormesis is represented by mild stress-induced stimulation of mainte-nance and repair pathways, resulting in beneficial effects for cells and organisms. We have reported that repeated mild heat stress (RMHS) has anti-aging hormetic effects on growth and various cellular and biochemical characteristics of human skin fibroblasts undergoing aging in vitro. These effects of RMHS include the maintenance of the stress protein profile, reduc-tion in the accumulation of oxidatively and glycoxidatively damaged proteins, stimulation of the activities of the proteasome and its 11S activator, improvement in cellular resistance to ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, and ultraviolet rays, and increased antioxidative activity of the cells. We have also reported that RMHS prolongs the lifespan of Drosophila. Others have re-ported anti-aging and life prolonging effects of a wide variety of so-called stressors, such as pro-oxidants, aldehydes, calorie restriction, irradiation, heat shock, and hypergravity. Al-though molecular mechanisms of hormesis are yet to be elucidated, there are indications that relatively small hormetic effects become biologically amplified, resulting in significant im-provement of cellular and organic functions and survival. Hormesis, therefore, can be an ef-fective approach for modulating aging, for preventing or delaying the onset of age-related diseases, and for improving the quality of life in old age