Can we do without physical education?
Scientists have identified a protein that stimulates the "rejuvenation" of the brain during exercise
Sergey Vasiliev, Naked Science https://naked-science.ru /
The benefits of physical activity are well known. Scientists have demonstrated the positive effects of exercise on the heart, lungs and even the brain.
New experiments have helped to isolate proteins from the blood of mice that trigger the "rejuvenation" of the brain during physical exertion – or even without them: the same proteins stimulated the same processes in completely immobile animals, giving hope for long-awaited pills that can replace regular trips to the gym.
It is known that transfusion of blood from young and healthy mice to old and sick mice improves their condition, so scientists from different countries are searching and researching proteins and signaling molecules that can cause these effects. Similar experiments are being conducted in the laboratory of Saul Villeda from the University of California, San Francisco, where scientists decided to test how the blood of trained animals will affect sedentary ones.
After placing some (elderly) rodents in a cage with a wheel and letting them run freely for six weeks, the researchers took their blood and transfused it to the same mice that were kept without access to "simulators" and led a sedentary lifestyle. The transfusion was performed eight times over three weeks, and during this time, scientists monitored their cognitive abilities by conducting tests in a maze, etc.
It turned out that they improved in almost the same way as in mice who continuously trained, scientists write about this in an article published in the journal Science (Horowitz et al., Blood factors transfer beneficial effects of exercise on neurogenesis and cognition to the aged brain). The authors compared the composition of proteins in the blood of both animals, noting that in trained rodents it contains increased amounts of phospholipase D1 (Gpld1) – one of the signaling proteins produced in the liver.
The following experiments confirmed that artificial stimulation of Gpld1 in elderly and sedentary mice for the same three weeks leads to almost the same improvements in cognitive tests as real physical exercise. Scientists also studied the content of Gpld1 in the blood of elderly people, showing that those who exercise regularly have more of it. It seems to have a similar effect on mice and on us, giving hope that sooner or later doctors will be able to create a drug capable of simulating the positive effects of physical exertion.
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