y), 12 months (equivalent to middle age) to
25 months, Ie in advanced age (comparing to humans).The researchers measured
levels of three "mood-enhancing" neurotransmitters - serotonin,
dopamine and noradenaline. All were significantly increased in the midbrain oCognitive skills, such as learning or memory, decrease with age in everyone, and the biggest decrease is seen in people suffering from Alzheimer's. Texas researchers, who are looking for ways to prevent this spike tendency, reported last week's exciting drug-related results, stemming from bacteria from the growing roots of Easter Island.Researchers working at the University of Texas Medical School and the San Antonio Health Science Center have added rapamycin to healthy mice diet throughout the life span of the Giant. Rapamycin, a bacterial product first isolated from the soil of Easter Island, which - according to recent research - strengthens the learning and memory capabilities of young mice and also improves those issues in older rodents."We were able to stimulate the young to learn and remember what they learned better than they would normally do," said Veronica Galvan, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology at the Barshop Institute on Aging and Aging. The Institute is part of the UT Health Science Center. "Among older mice that were fed a diet containing rapamycin, you could actually see improvement, denying normal decline in function with age."The drug also lowers anxiety and depressive behavior in mice, says Dr. Galvan. Factors of these states have a definite influence on cognitive abilities also in man. Researcher Jonathan Halloran has conducted scientifically sound tests to accurately measure these cognitive components in rodents.Mice are diggers that prefer tunnels in the walls. In order to observe their behavior, Halloran used an extensive and raised labyrinth, whose tunnels led straight to the paddock. Suddenly the mice were in the open. It is much further from the level at which they usually operate, something like a climbing tourist came suddenly on a very steep trail. It is quite high and it is not a general feeling. "Mice with less fear were more interesting to explore this area. "We observed that those mice that had a rapamycin diet spent far more time in the open air than the carmine's regular diet," said Halloran.The second test was to measure behavior similar to that of rodent depression. Mice do not like being held by their tails when they are put into cages. They are constantly struggling to find a way out. "We can measure how much and how often they are struggling to find a way out of an unforgettable situation for them," said Dr. Galvan. Some of the mice barely tried to release, but given the antidepressant drugs, there was much more to be done. This behavior is very related to antidepressant effects and is a reliable measure of whether or not the drug has antidepressant effects, says Dr. Galvan. "We learned that rapamycin acts as an antidepressant - it increases the amount of time a mouse is trying to get out of a situation. They do not give up, they fight much more than others. "The reduction of anxiety and depression in mice treated with rapamycin is noticeable in all age groups - from 4 months of age (calculated for years of age, this is the age of school staf
mice that were fed rapamycin. "This is extremely interesting, something we
will pursue further in the lab," said Dr. Galvan.Dr. Galvan's team has
published in 2010 studies that have shown a positive effect on the learning and
memory capabilities of Alzheimer's disease-deficient mice. The growth of these
three neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers in the brain, can
explain how Rapamycin has an impact on this.Rapamycin is also used as an
antipsychotic agent for transplant patients to prevent discarding a new organ.
The drug is called Rapa Niu - Polynesian name is taken from the island of
Wielkopolska. This island, located more than 3,000 kilometers from population
centers, has been known for over 900 years for its mysterious statues.Complete
information about the research will be published online June 28 this year. In
the journal Neuroscience.
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at San
Antonio.