Scientists pointed out that living "cool" can prolong life and
"low body temperature" can also prolong life?
How to save aging?
What is the secret of aging?
On these questions, scientists have gone to great lengths to find answers.
It has been hypothesized that metabolic rates are reduced in many animals under food-restricted conditions, and that food restriction significantly prolongs animal lifespan, suggesting that aging and longevity may be related to metabolic rates.
However, changes in metabolic rate are often accompanied by changes in body temperature, so it is difficult to distinguish the effects of the two on lifespan alone.
In the early morning of March 15, the team of John Roger Speckman, chair professor of the School of Pharmacy, Shenzhen University of Technology (under preparation), and chief scientist of the Energy Metabolism Research Center of the Institute of Medicine, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the team of Professor Zhao Zhijun of Wenzhou University, The collaborative results of Liaocheng University, the University of Aberdeen and other units were published in Nature-Metabolism.
The results of the study clarify the impact of metabolic rate and body temperature on lifespan, revealing that under certain conditions, body temperature has a greater impact on lifespan.
Text/Wang Na, All Media Reporter of Guangzhou Daily
Is metabolism and body temperature more important in aging?
Aging is a complex life process, and there are many factors that affect aging and longevity.
Many natural phenomena show that animals with a low metabolic rate live longer than those with a high metabolic rate.
In the case of mice, whose metabolic rate at the tissue level is about 30 times that of elephants, the lifespan of mice is about 3 years, while the lifespan of elephants is about 80 years.
Although comparisons between species vary widely, studies within the same species have also found that animals with lower metabolic rates live longer.
Metabolism is closely related to body temperature.
For example, during exercise, the metabolic rate increases and the body temperature also increases.
Studies have also shown that under food-restricted conditions, animals with a low metabolic rate also have a low body temperature.
"Both metabolic rate and body temperature may be one of the important factors affecting lifespan. Previous studies have shown that food restriction significantly prolongs lifespan in mice, and food restriction reduces both the animal's body temperature and its metabolic rate, making it impossible to differentiate between body temperature Whether the effect of TB directly affects lifespan, or mediates its effect on lifespan by affecting metabolic rate." said Zhao Zhijun, the first author and co-corresponding author of the paper.
The impact of metabolism and body temperature on lifespan, which is more important?
In this regard, the research team used an unusual experimental condition to try to solve this problem.
They exposed black-lined hamsters and experimental mice to a high temperature environment for a long time, that is, the two animals were exposed to the upper critical temperature (UCT) of the thermoneutral region for a long time. When small mammals are in this environment, the thermal conductivity increases. Lowering their body temperature tends to raise their body temperature, but keeps their metabolic rate low to reduce heat production and avoid hyperthermia.
The results of the study found that both animals had significantly shorter lifespans with lower metabolic rates and higher body temperature. Low metabolic rates did not prolong their lifespans, but high body temperature shortened their lifespans.
This suggests that body temperature appears to be a more important factor in lifespan than metabolism over a range of temperatures.
Living "cool" makes life longer
In order to further distinguish the effects of metabolic rate and body temperature on lifespan, the researchers carried out the above-mentioned two kinds of animals in the high temperature environment to blow heat (wind acclimation), this method did not change the effect of high temperature exposure on the metabolism of animals, but increased the thermal conductivity , promoting body heat dissipation prevented the rise of animal body temperature, but reversed the adverse effect of high temperature exposure on animal lifespan, which may imply that in a hot environment, blowing hair makes animals feel more comfortable and live longer, that is, living " Cooler" and longer lifespan.
Since hypothermia increases lifespan, do animals living in warmer regions have shorter lifespans?
"Changes in many environmental factors, especially changes in temperature, have a certain impact on body temperature. For animals living in areas with higher or lower temperatures, the comparison of their lifespans should be within certain defined ranges and conditions, and it is not appropriate to talk about them in general terms." Zhao Zhijun explained.
The study clarified the effects of body temperature and metabolic rate on lifespan, indicating that thermoregulation has a greater impact on lifespan under certain conditions, and lowering body temperature is beneficial to delay aging and prolong lifespan.
"Since the late 1990s, we have carried out a series of studies exploring the relationship between metabolic rate and aging. By conducting collaborative research on these experiments, we have tried to elucidate the role of metabolism and body temperature. Exploring the potential influence factors on longevity opens a door." said Academician John Roger Speckman, co-corresponding author of the paper.
Zhao Zhijun said that the cause and mechanism of animal aging and natural death is still unclear. The research team will further conduct cooperative research on the determination of body temperature and metabolic rate at different ages, the impact of UCT environment and wind domestication on different species.