Scientists have proposed a number of substances that may help to curb the aging gene.
Biologists from Indiana University have found that depression and stress affect not only a person’s appearance, but also have a much more profound impact on the human body by altering the activity of genes. The discovery made it possible to identify substances that can help in the fight against aging. The results are published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Scientists studied the DNA of free-living nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and have been researching the different groups of people, with the result that they were able to identify a number of genes that determine the effects of stress and a bad or good mood on life expectancy. One of the key genes were ank3, which encodes a protein of ankyrin 3 involved in the formation of nervous tissue.
The researchers determined that the activity of the identified gene changes with age, and in people who were exposed to significant stress or affective disorders, changes in genes associated with premature aging and reduced life expectancy.
In the first stage of work, scientists exposed worms C. elegans, the action of the antidepressant of mianserin. The researchers noted that the lifespan of nematodes increased. Biologists have determined that the organisms worms 231 gene has changed its activity in response to the antidepressant, and that man has 347 such genes. The latter were tested on the relationship with depressive symptoms, the result of which was allocated to 134 gene, including ank3.
The researchers tested the effect of mianserin on nematodes with a mutant that is inactive, ank3 and worms with the normal version of the gene. It turned out that the antidepressant supports ank3 at a low level, but the gene still needs to stay a little bit active.
Biologists also investigated the activity of ank3 based on the blood samples of 700 patients with mental disorders, and suicide. All analyses showed a high expression level of the gene. Interestingly, the shift towards greater activity ank3 demonstrated and patients with progeria is a severe genetic disease associated with accelerated aging.
Scientists have proposed a number of substances that may help to curb aging gene, contributing to long life: docosahexaenoic acid, piracetam, quercetin, vitamin D and resveratrol, as well as existing medicines, such as estrogen-like compounds, rapamycin and antidiabetic. However, further studies are needed to confirm their effectiveness.
