Remote tissue conditioning - An emerging approach for inducing body-wide protection against diseases of ageing

Boaz Kim; Alice Brandli; John Mitrofanis; Jonathan Stone; Sivaraman Purushothuman; Daniel M Johnstone

doi:10.1016/j.arr.2017.05.005

Remote tissue conditioning - An emerging approach for inducing body-wide protection against diseases of ageing

Ageing Res Rev. 2017 Aug:37:69-78. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2017.05.005. Epub 2017 May 24.

Authors

Boaz Kim¹, Alice Brandli², John Mitrofanis³, Jonathan Stone⁴, Sivaraman Purushothuman⁵, Daniel M Johnstone⁶

Affiliations

¹ Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
² Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
³ Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; Discipline of Anatomy & Histology, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁴ Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
⁵ Neuroscience Research Australia and University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia.
⁶ Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. Electronic address: Daniel.Johnstone@sydney.edu.au.

PMID: 28552720
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2017.05.005

Abstract

We have long accepted that exercise is 'good for us'; that - put more rigorously - moderate exercise is associated with not just aerobic fitness but also reduced morbidity and reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease and even malignancies. Caloric restriction (moderate hunger) and our exposure to dietary phytochemicals are also emerging as stresses which are 'good for us' in the same sense. This review focuses on an important extension of this concept: that stress localized within the body (e.g. in a limb) can induce resilience in tissues throughout the body. We describe evidence for the efficacy of two 'remote' protective interventions - remote ischemic conditioning and remote photobiomodulation - and discuss the mechanisms underlying their protective actions. While the biological phenomenon of remote tissue conditioning is only partially understood, it holds promise for protecting critical-to-life tissues while mitigating risks and practical barriers to direct conditioning of these tissues.

Keywords: Hormesis; Ischemic conditioning; Photobiomodulation; Remote; Resilience; Stress response.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Aging*
Chronic Disease / prevention & control*
Humans
Ischemic Preconditioning*
Low-Level Light Therapy*
Stress, Physiological*