Klotho
The Klotho protein is related to the regulation of oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory processes. Exercise is presented as a potent stimulator of the Klotho protein, but... Who is Klotho?
In Greek mythology, Clotho is the youngest of the moirais, the goddesses of destiny. She was in charge of spinning the threads with her distaff. The strands represent human life, and that is where the gene gets its name, as it is known as a life-extending gene.
The Klotho gene, which codes for a protein of the same name, has been called the suppressor gene of aging, although interest in the control of aging is ancestral, the discovery of this gene and its protein were completely fortuitous. In 19987, Kuro-O M and collaborators found a knock-out mouse for this gene characterized by a phenotype of premature aging, hypokinesia, cognitive impairment, and sarcopenia. Since then, the study of this gene has been of great interest.
Today, three isoforms of this protein are already described, Alpha Klotho, Beta Klotho and Gamma Klotho, the first being the original and best known. Alpha Klotho is secreted mainly in the kidney, parathyroid, and choroid plexus of the brain, and can also be found, in lower concentrations, in the pancreas, ovaries, testes, and skeletal muscle.
Alpha Klotho in its circulating or secreted form has been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects in different tissues. In addition, it has been related to different pathologies, mainly chronic and in which the effects of inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, or cell cycle dysregulation are characteristic of the disease.
Elevated blood levels of klotho protein may help preserve kidney function. Although the very exact mechanism of action of klotho has not yet been identified, the protein has been shown to influence multiple cellular and endocrine pathways. The kidney has the highest levels of klotho expression and is probably the main source of soluble klotho, so it is not surprising that klotho levels tend to be low in patients with kidney disease.
It was found a strong association between low soluble klotho and decreased kidney function, independent of many known risk factors for decreased kidney function.
This protein is very helpful for the treatment of different conditions:
- Renal Disease. Alpha Klotho is used as a powerful prognostic marker, it plays an important role in the prediction of cardiovascular events in these patients.
- Lung disease. Alpha Klotho is down-regulated in airway epithelial cells in COPD patients, the secretion of proinflammatory interleukins can be regulated by this protein.
- Alpha Klotho is a tumor suppressor factor, many studies relate low levels of the protein in patients with breast, colon, or lung cancer, among others. In addition, high levels of this protein improve prognosis and increase survival in these patients.