Globally the number of individuals surviving beyond 60 years is increasing, raising the burden of poor health. The quest to slow the pace of aging has sent us looking for ‘the elixir of youth’. The pursuit of the legendary dream of drinking water from the eternal fountain of youth has led to much scientific research. Research at Brown University reveals gut hormones in fruit flies could control life span.
This finding is important for humans as new diabetes and obesity, drugs developed from gut hormones in the same insect family are widely used. The research reveals suppressing the insulin-regulating neuropeptide F hormone from Fruit flies gut extended longevity.
Fruit flies are important as they have similar genes and hormones to humans which could help us understand longevity.
High sugar intake increases the production of free radicals, leading to oxidative damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. This damage accumulates over time and contributes to premature aging of cells and tissues.
Free radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with an uneven number of electrons. Free radicals need electrons for pairing and stability. They are highly reactive, unstable, and short-lived.
Environmental factors and chemical reactions within our body produce free radicals. Free radicals damage cell structures by taking electrons from biomolecules. This damage takes a long to repair.
Reactive oxygen species are a subset of free radicals and are formed as a result of metabolic activities. When more reactive oxygen species form than the antioxidant defense system can eliminate, oxidative stress occurs. It is this oxidative stress that causes diseases and aging.
The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences are
Reducing insulin and targeting related processes slows aging and extends life span.
In the study, researchers manipulated gene activity in Fruit flies intestines to produce lower levels of neuropeptide F hormone and thereby lower insulin levels.
Manipulating gene activity in fruit flies’ intestines lowers neuropeptide F hormone levels lowering insulin levels. Researchers compared the hormone production in the gut to what was occurring in the fruit fly’s brains. Correlating the results with the diet the insect consumed. Researchers found that suppressing neuropeptide hormone activity extended longevity in the flies as did blocking the activity of related proteins in their brains. These proteins control the production of juvenile hormones, which are known to regulate physiology.
The researcher said that neuropeptide F hormone in the gut impacted aging in flies by integrating- nutrient sensing, insulin signaling, and juvenile hormone production.
Based on their observation, Marc Tatar, professor of biology at Brown University said. They concluded that overproduction of neuropeptide F in flies harms aging and decreases life span.
The researchers explain that humans do not produce either of the neuropeptides F or juvenile hormones. Instead, gut hormones are involved in regulating insulin in humans.
Given how diabetes and obesity, drugs are known to target hormones involved in controlling insulin. Based on the findings of the relationship between insulin and aging in flies. It may be time to consider how drugs could impact human aging.
References:
1. Nakai, Kozo, and Daisuke Tsuruta. “What Are Reactive Oxygen Species, Free Radicals, and Oxidative Stress in Skin Diseases?” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 19 (October 6, 2021): 10799. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910799.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Swati Sharma/MSM)