CRITICAL CONTEXT

This theory was widely researched during the first half of the century. I have personally studied it in full depth. I learned to appreciate in detail the values of science from a previous epoch to which belonged: Neils Bohr, Max Plank, Albert Einstein and other scientists of the highest prominence. They provided us with  foundation principles for the development of science in the second half of the twentieth century. 

I still remember searching 1915 volumes of the Journal of Biochemistry in abandoned dark and dusty basement university libraries. In the beginning of the century,  scientific thought was somehow different, not  always reaching the specialization that characterizes present day research.  Instead, the theories created in that period were of a greater rationale and a wider view of  sciences.  New fundamental theories in physics, genetics and in every other field of science, emerged in those days. The main principles of modern science were established in those early years of this century.

The theory of ageing based on retarded growth, proposed for the first time in 1925, matches precisely  the development of great new ideas prevailing during that period. As opposed to the trend in science today, this theory  looks at man and life in a wider context. Based on  a great rationale, established that:  "Senescence is the result of the continued action of the regulator after growth is stopped."  "Man only grows about 18 per cent, in length after puberty, shrinking after twice that age at a rate which increases every year." Senescence is the manifestation for regulating size. This is a necessary consequence of Galileo's principle that an animal could not continue to increase indefinitely the size of its parts while keeping the same proportions if it was to maintain its mechanical efficiency" "Senility designates the negative growth in man which begins after full sexual maturity"1

Based on this theory, which in simple words states that the period of senescence starts when the period of growth ends, it is justified to assert that the process of ageing has its physiological origin when the closure of bone epiphysis occurs, (the  body's indicator of the cessation of bone growth). Extensive and detailed, four to five year’s experiments were published in the Lancet, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Nutrition and the Journal of Experimental Zoology from 1925 until 1948. The names of distinguished scientists like Robertson, McCay  and Crowell, are just a few of the wide number of researchers involved in demonstrating  the effects of retarded growth in the length of life.  More than 40 papers were published,   accompanied by extensive graphs and photographs of the animals under research. All the experiments lasted more than 4 years.

The main conclusions were that, if growth is retarded, the initiation of senescence is also retarded, the proof inferred by the animals under research, who appeared to reach a consistent increase in life span.

The normal growth period of the species of rats under experimental observation, is about 200 days.  After this period, growth ends. The animal will continue to live   a maximum of 800 days.

In the experiments,  periods of growth were artificially extended. Animals grew slower. Because the period of growth was considerably increased, after 800 days of age, animals were still slowly growing. Growth continued until approximately 900 days. At this point, the artificially induced retardation of growth was stopped, the animals were allowed to complete their growth until they reached their normal size. After attaining their normal size, animals visibly started to be affected by the arrival of senescence. After   achievement of total  growth , the animals  aged, and died after reaching  ages over 1200 or 1400 days of life.  By prolonging the period of growth, animals reached maximum life span, 60% to 80% higher than  normal (normal = 800 days. Retarded growth = 1400 days)

All  the experiments to test the effect of retarded growth upon the length of life span,   were carried out in the first half of this century. The results as an average, demonstrated that by prolonging the period of growth four times, the length of life was almost doubled.

The method used to retard growth was of caloric restriction, with additional nutrients, vitamins, minerals and  other diet constituents,  to avoid nutritional deficiencies, which could originate because of daily low caloric intake.

There is a great universal  truth in the scientific principle on which the theory of ageing on retarded growth is based.

• The period of youth continues while   growth  is allowed to proceed. The onset of ageing and senescence is initiated soon after cessation of growth. (Colour plate 5, Page 38)

Sadly, this  theory has  almost been  forgotten. Research continued in the second half of this century with   modern scientists using new and quicker  research methods.   Unfortunately, the main postulate of this theory was misunderstood or disregarded and the whole magnificent theory is now  shifted   into a simple low caloric longevity diet.

There is no doubt that a low calorie diet might produce  slight enhancement of life span, and that obesity and overweight will shorten life span.

The maximum increase in  life span a caloric restriction diet might reach is limited, while the principle of retarded growth has the theoretical potential of increasing life span to much wider boundaries.

One of the main objectives of this dissertation is to reassert the main  principle of the theory of aging and retarded growth;  to honour the main assumption of the theory as postulated by their authors; and  to re-establish its importance by accomplishing its retarding growth objective,   by other means, than caloric restriction.

At the time the theory was presented and experimented, there was no other  scientific method to retard growth apart from caloric restriction.

The last attempts to prove the validity of this theory, through the method of caloric restriction, were carried out in the 1950's by Alex Comfort. Experimental research on the fish Lebistes, concluded that retarded growth extends life span, although senescence and death appeared while the fish were still growing.

The method used for these experiments consisted of 50 liter tank divided into equal compartments by a loose perforated partition, which allowed free circulation of water. Fish were maintained at average aquarium conditions and at different caloric and food intakes. Oxygen pressures in the water and air,  used in all the experiments, was the standard environmental oxygen pressure, with no alterations.

In this dissertation I wish to presents the idea that retarded growth could be efficiently achieved with an environment of lower oxygen pressure. To validate this idea I have researched in  depth into geology and paleontology,  providing myself with  valuable arguments in support of the idea I wish to demonstrate. Advances in nuclear chemistry and the use of isotopes and  radioactivity in the 1950's, enriched scientific knowledge about the composition of the earth's former atmosphere.

Presently, there is  absolute agreement amongst geologists, that in the Precambrian Era, the content of oxygen in the atmosphere was minimal, A value of O.01 percent of the present oxygen volume has been determined.

The production of oxygen through photosynthesis has created  gradual increases in atmospheric oxygen  reaching the present volume of 1018 kg’s.

I  would like to re examine  my previous argument concerning the gigantic level of growth reached by animals in the Mesozoic era  when atmospheric oxygen concentration was between  5% to 10%.

I have said that low levels of environmental oxygen represent the main ecological factor  that  allowed almost unlimited growth of animals like dinosaurs. ,The sudden unexplained disappearance of the dominant dinosaurs, occurred in the period of progressive augmentation in atmospheric oxygen.  Therefore I conclude that it was this increase which was the main factor constraining animal growth. The long living and gigantic animals disappeared when their period of growth was seriously reduced due to the appearance of a high oxygen atmosphere

Animals like the Anteosaurus (500 Kgs), Titanosuchus (1500 Kgs) and Dinosaurs, were affected by this new oxygen enriched atmosphere. Their growth period was drastically  reduced to  10% or 5% of their previous volume. Increased atmospheric oxygen reduced the size of dinosaurs  to that of  present day reptiles and lizards. The maximum  growth and weight  dropped together with their life span. Animals having initially a weight of 800 Kgs, a height of 100 ft and a life span of more than  800 years, were gradually reduced to weights of 4 Kgs, a height of 0.5 ft., and average life spans of about  4 years.

The geological assumptions presented here, intend to give new validity to the theory of ageing based on retarded growth, and to re examine its possibilities by re-experimenting on retarded growth life-extension. This could now be induced by lowering  environmental oxygen, rather than reducing caloric intake

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