Tier 2 — strong

Biological effects of 2-oxoglutarate with particular emphasis on the regulation of protein, mineral and lipid absorption/metabolism, muscle performance, kidney function, bone formation and cancerogenesis, all viewed from a healthy ageing perspective state of the art--review article

Harrison AP, Pierzynowski SG
Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2008 59 Suppl 1:91-106

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 18802218
Funding
Funding information is not clearly reported in the PubMed record used for this entry.
Competing interests
The PubMed record does not provide a modern competing-interest statement.

Study snapshot

DesignState-of-the-art narrative review.
ModelPublished animal, human and mechanistic literature available through 2008.
SampleNot applicable.
InterventionNot applicable.
DurationNot applicable.
EndpointsAKG metabolism; Muscle performance; Kidney function; Bone biology; Cancer biology; Healthy aging

What the study showed, in plain terms

This review is historically important because later Ca-AKG papers repeatedly cite it for the statement that plasma AKG falls roughly ten-fold between ages 40 and 80.

The review itself makes clear that this particular human age-decline observation came from unpublished work by Pierzynowski rather than a published primary human study.

It remains useful as a historical synthesis, but that unpublished observation should not be presented as established human evidence.

Key findings

  • The paper synthesized early AKG research across metabolism, muscle, kidney, bone and cancer.
  • It helped establish the modern healthy-aging narrative around AKG.
  • The commonly repeated ten-fold human age-decline claim traces back to an unpublished observation cited within this review.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Narrative review rather than systematic evidence synthesis.
  • Published in 2008 and predates modern Ca-AKG longevity experiments and human biological-age studies.
  • A key age-related AKG concentration claim was based on unpublished data.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology