PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF AUTOPHAGY IN RESTRICTING CALORIE INTAKE AMONG MEN
In a group of healthy men of different ages (18-75 years old), the level of autophagy marker - Beclin-1 in the initial state and after a course (on the 12th day) of limited (800-1200 kcal) calorie restriction (CR) was studied by the enzyme immunodetection. Body composition was determined using impedansometry. The degree of autophagy activation was assessed by the "delta" value - the difference between the initial concentration and after CR. Normally, men showed significant variability in the level of Beclin-1 from 6.14 to 844.78 pg / ml. As a result of the CR course, there was a significant decrease in body weight, soft lean, fat and muscle mass (p<0.0001), as well as intracellular water (p<0.006). As a result of the course of CR in the entire group, an increase of 2.0 times (p<0.01) in the concentration of Beclin-1 was noted. At the same time, positive correlations were revealed in the entire study group between weight, body mass index (r = 0.46 and r = 0.48, respectively, p<0.05), fat mass (r = 0.62; p<0,01). The same patterns were observed in middle-aged people. A direct correlation was found in obese individuals between the level of Beclin-1 and the content of fat mass. In the group of young people, positive correlations between the Beclin-1 delta and the delta of individual body composition indicators were revealed: muscle (r = 0.96; p<0.05), soft lean (r = 0.96; p<0.05) weight and total water (r = 0.96; p<0.05). The loss of these body components was accompanied by a parallel decrease in the activity of Beclin-1. In old age, fat loss occurred in parallel with an increase in Beclin-1 activity (r = -0.87; p<0.05), directly correlated with HDL (r = 0.94; p<0.01) and inversely correlated with LDL (r = -0.99; p<0.01) and total cholesterol (r = -0.98; p<0.01). In young people, the opposite pattern was observed. Each age group had its own characteristics in the ratios of the studied parameters.