Digestive Enzymes Leaking into the Body May Increase Aging

In young rats, the researchers found low levels of the protein-breaking enzyme trypsin, although the tiny folds (villi) of the small intestine and the lungs contained more of this molecule. However, trypsin levels were much higher in old animals.

“High densities are on sections of the intestine, liver, and lung, organs that are in the pathway of digestive enzymes leaking from the small intestine,” the paper says. Elevated levels of other digestive enzymes (elastase, lipase, and amylase) were also detected throughout the body.

These findings suggest that pancreatic enzymes find their way out of the intestine and into vital organs. In further experiments, the researchers focused on trypsin. They report that a two-week treatment with an oral trypsin inhibitor resulted in a significant reduction in trypsin accumulation in internal organs and the skin.

Moreover, the treatment alleviated some of the damage ostensibly caused by trypsin. This includes collagen degradation and fragmentation, which is a significant aspect of aging. The researchers call the extensive cleavage of collagen in organs “a key finding” of their study.