% pubman genre = article @article{item_2643310, title = {{Aging and sex affect soluble alpha klotho levels in bonobos and chimpanzees}}, author = {Behringer, Verena and Stevens, Jeroen M. G. and Deschner, Tobias and Sonnweber, Ruth and Hohmann, Gottfried}, language = {eng}, doi = {10.1186/s12983-018-0282-9}, publisher = {BioMed Central}, address = {London, UK}, year = {2018}, abstract = {{Background:{\textless}br{\textgreater}Throughout life, physiological homeostasis is challenged and the capacity to cope with such challenges declines with increasing age. In many species, sex differences exist in life expectancy. Sex-specific differences have been related to extrinsic factors like mate competition and/or intrinsic proximate mechanisms such as hormonal changes. In humans, an intrinsic factor related to aging is soluble alpha klotho ($\alpha$-Kl). Both sexes show an age-related decline in $\alpha$-Kl, but throughout life women have higher levels than men of the same age. Sex differences in $\alpha$-Kl have been linked to a shorter lifespan, as well as to specific morbidity factors such as atherosclerosis and arteries calcifications. In non-human animals, information on $\alpha$-Kl levels is rare and restricted to experimental work. Our cross-sectional study is the first on $\alpha$-Kl levels in two long-lived species: bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). As in most mammals, female bonobos and chimpanzees have longer life expectancy than males.{\textless}br{\textgreater}Methods:{\textless}br{\textgreater}We measured serum $\alpha$-Kl levels of 140 subjects from 16 zoos with an ELISA to examine if $\alpha$-Kl levels reflect this difference in life expectancy.{\textless}br{\textgreater}Results:{\textless}br{\textgreater}In both species and in both sexes, $\alpha$-Kl levels declined with age suggesting that this marker has potential for aging studies beyond humans. We also found species-specific differences. Adult female bonobos had higher $\alpha$-Kl levels than males, a difference that corresponds to the pattern found in humans. In chimpanzees, we found the opposite: males had higher $\alpha$-Kl levels than females.{\textless}br{\textgreater}Conclusion:{\textless}br{\textgreater}We suggest that contrasting sex differences in adult $\alpha$-Kl levels mirror the dominance relations between females and males of the two Pan species; and that this might be related to corresponding sex differences in their exposure to stress. In humans, higher cortisol levels were found to be related to lower $\alpha$-Kl levels. We conclude that there is great potential for studying aging processes in hominoids, and perhaps also in other non-human primates, by measuring $\alpha$-Kl levels. To better understand the causes for sex differences in this aging marker, consideration of behavioural parameters such as competition and stress exposure will be required as well as other physiological markers.}}, journal = {{Frontiers in Zoology}}, volume = {15}, eid = {35}, }