Bone cell hormone restored memory to old mice
In experiments on mice, researchers from Columbia University Medical Center, working under the guidance of Professor Gerard Karsenty, demonstrated that an increase in the concentration of the hormone osteocalcin produced by bone cells in the blood reverses the process of age-related memory deterioration. In addition, they identified an osteocalcin receptor in the brain, which in the future may become a target for new approaches to combating age-related cognitive decline.
Professor Kalsenti explains that in earlier studies, the scientists of his group found that osteocalcin performs many functions in the body, including a certain role in the memorization process. According to his observations, the level of this hormone in the body decreases sharply in early adulthood. This fact raised an important question: is it possible to reverse the process of memory deterioration by restoring osteocalcin levels characteristic of young age?
In search of an answer to this question, the authors conducted a series of experiments aimed at studying the role of osteocalcin in age-related memory impairment. In one of the experiments, aging mice were given prolonged infusions of osteocalcin for two months. This significantly improved the results demonstrated by the animals when passing two different memory tests.
Similar results were observed when old animals were injected with osteocalcin-rich plasma from young mice. At the same time, nothing like this happened when the plasma of young animals with osteocalcin deficiency was injected into old mice. However, the addition of osteocalcin to such plasma before administration ensured the expected results. The researchers also used antibodies to osteocalcin to remove the hormone from the plasma of young mice, which worsened their results when passing memory tests.
After that, the authors found that osteocalcin binds to the Gpr158 receptor, which is expressed in large quantities by neurons of a certain region of the hippocampus – a structure that is the memory center of the brain. This was confirmed by inactivation of Gpr158 and subsequent administration of osteocalcin, which did not improve the results of memory tests.
During the experiments, the scientists did not observe any toxic side effects of osteocalcin administration. However, they note that additional studies are needed before transferring this approach to clinical practice.
It should also be noted that in earlier works, the authors also demonstrated the ability of osteocalcin to rejuvenate the muscles of old animals, returning them to the running speed and endurance of young mice.
Article by Lori Khrimian et al. Gpr158 mediates osteocalcin's regulation of cognition published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine/
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Columbia University Medical Center: Bone-Derived Hormone Reverses Age-Related Memory Loss.
30.08.2017