Posted on 07/13/2011 7:07:59 AM PDT by Pharmboy
Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Mainz discover a mechanism that can protect from aging processes
Humans are getting older and older, and the number of people with dementia is increasing. The factors controlling degeneration of the brain are still mostly unknown. However, researchers assume that factors such as stress, accumulation of toxic waste products as well as inflammation accelerate aging. But, vice versa, there are also mechanisms that can - like a bodyguard - protect the brain from degenerating, or repair defective structures.
Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Mainz have now discovered a hitherto unknown function of the cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1). A receptor is a protein that can bind to other substances, triggering a chain of signals. Cannabinoids such as THC – the active agent in cannabis sativa – and endocannabinoids formed by the body bind to the CB1 receptors. The existence of this receptor is also the reason for the intoxicating effect of hashish and marijuana.
Not only does the CB1 receptor have an addictive potential, but it also plays a role in the degeneration of the brain. "If we switch off the receptor using gene technology, mouse brains age much faster," said Önder Albayram, principal author of the publication and a doctoral student on the team of Professor Dr. Andreas Zimmer from the Institut für Molekulare Psychiatrie at the University of Bonn. "This means that the CB1 signal system has a protective effect for nerve cells."
Mice prove their brain power in a pool
The researchers studied mice in different age categories – young six week old animals, middle-aged ones at five months, and those of an advanced age at 12 months. The animals had to master various tasks – first, they had to find a submerged platform in the pool. Once the mice knew its location, the platform was moved, and the animals had to find it again. This was how the researchers tested how well the rodents learned and remembered.
The animals in which the CB1 receptor had been switched off (the knock-out mice) clearly differed from their kind. "The knock-out mice showed clearly diminished learning and memory capacity," said Privatdozent Dr. Andras Bilkei-Gorzo from Professor Zimmer's team, who led the study. So, animals that did not have the receptor were less successful in their search for the platform. "In addition, they showed a clear loss of nerve cells in the hippocampus," he explained further. This part of the brain is the central area for forming and storing information. In addition, the researchers found inflammation processes in the brain. As the mice advanced in age, the degenerative processes became increasingly noticeable.
Amazing parallels with the human brain
The animals with the intact CB1 receptor, to the contrary, did clearly better with regard to their learning and memory capabilities, as well as the health of their nerve cells. "The root cause of aging is one of the secrets of life," commented Albayram. This study has begun to open the door to solving this enigma. The processes in the mouse brains have a surprising number of parallels with age-related changes in human brains. So, the endocannabinoid system may also present a protective mechanism in the aging of the human brain.
The principal author cautioned, "This will require additional research." The scientists would like to better understand the mechanism by which CB1 receptors protect the brain from inflammation processes. And based on these signal chains, it might then be possible to develop substances for new therapies.
### Publication: Onder Albayram, Judith Alferink, Julika Pitsch, Anastasia Piyanova, Kim Neitzert, Karola Poppensieker, Daniela Mauer, Kerstin Michel, Anne Legler, Albert Becker, Krisztina Monory, Beat Lutz, Andreas Zimmer and Andras Bilkei-Gorzo: Role of CB1 cannabinoid receptors on GABAergic neurons in brain aging, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1016442108
Contact: Privatdozent Dr. Andras Bilkei-Gorzo Institut für Molekulare Psychiatrie der Universität Bonn Ph.: 0228/6885317 Email: abilkei@uni-bonn.de
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Nice analogy with the opioids...
Gee whiz, guess it isn't new at all and you were hiding it from the world.
Or, it's all new stuff.
I bet it's new!
1. You misread what the paper said.This approach, while protecting you from admitting that you were incorrect, will prevent you from learning.
2. You misread what I said.
3. Even after I carefully pointed the differences out, you persisted in maintaining your misreading in both 1. and 2..
You are a very patient person; probably from years in the lab. A good skill indeed...
LOL! MUCH worse than the lab...at least the lab won’t tell you how important it is all the time.
anti-aging:
http://www.mylifevantage.com/radio/default.aspx
Back in the '80s, I was medical director for a company that worked with Roche Vitamins and Chemicals, Ltd. (they produced most of the bulk vitamins manufactured in the world at the time). We were working on their antioxidant vitamins (mainly C and E).
At an antioxidant scientific conference held in Florida back in '88, I happened to sit down next to a presenter at the conference (at dinner). His name was Joe McCord, and at the time, was a professor at the University of South Alabama. When I asked him about his research, he told me that he was the co-discoverer of superoxide dismutase--that blew me away. I remember telling him that I thought he would eventually get the Nobel Prize for his discovery (it still might happen).
At any rate, after seeing him at one more meeting and occasionally corresponding with him, I lost touch...until your link. Joe is the nicest, most humble guy you will ever meet...great stuff...and thanks!
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