A study showed that mice with decreased body temperature tended to live longer than their peers.
The research is offering new ways to boost longevity of genetically engineered mice. Their life span increased with as much as 20 percent in comparison to normal mice.
The newly engineered mice were set with a body temperature which was roughly 0.5 to 0.9 degrees below that of typical mice. The experiment conducted on female mice showed an average lifespan of 662 days, which is 112 days more than contemporary female mice. The experience for male mice gave a median lifespan of 805 days, which are 89 days more than normal male mice.
According to the lead author Bruno Conti, a biologist at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, a small but gradual reduction in body temperature tends to positively influence aging and lifespan. It could practically increase human life span by roughly 7 to 8 years, which would be a marvelous progress in longevity.
It has been known by scientists for years that calorie restriction tends to extend lifespan. It has also been shown that calorie restriction for animals leads to lower body temperature. Conti conducted the research to understand whether a lower body temperature alone would be sufficient to boost longevity.
According to Conti, earlier studies conducted on body temperature were performed on animals that had their temperature influenced by the environment. However, this study was the first one conducted to change the temperature of warm-blooded animals.
The study involved modifying cells in each of the mouse’s hypothalamus, which is a part of the brain responsible for controlling body temperature. The cells induced more heat than for typical mice.
It is similarly to a thermostat, used in a room to control temperature. The brain acts in the same way as the thermostat. If you would take a something very hot near a thermostat it would trigger air conditioning to restore the heat back to normal levels. The brain induces a similar mechanism to regulate the temperature of the body.
In the study, there was a total of 79 experimental mice that enjoyed the same treatment as 67 normal mice.
The study showed that we can boost longevity by lowering our body temperature. However, this is not yet practicable for human beings. According to Conti, studying the mechanism of the human thermostat can help in developing pharmacological treatment to increase lifespan, in the future.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Sun, Jun 13, 2010
Bioscience, Longevity, Nanotechnology, Stem cells