ANN ARBOR Sex may in fact be one of the secrets to good health, youth and a longer life at least for fruit flies suggests a new University of Michigan study that appears in the journal Science.
Male fruit flies that perceived sexual pheromones of their female counterparts without the opportunity to mate experienced rapid decreases in fat stores, resistance to starvation and more stress. The sexually frustrated flies lived shorter lives.
Mating, on the other hand, partially reversed the negative effects on health and aging.
Fruit flies are model organisms for understanding molecular mechanisms of aging. These findings give us a better understanding about how sensory perception and physiological state may be integrated in the brain to affect long-term health and lifespan, says senior author Scott D. Pletcher, professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the U-M Medical School and research professor at the U-M Geriatrics Center.
The cutting-edge genetics and neurobiology used in this research suggests to us that for fruit flies at least, it may not be a myth that sexual frustration is a health issue. Expecting sex without any sexual reward was detrimental to their health and cut their lives short.
U-M scientists used sensory manipulations to give the common male fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the perception that they were in a sexually rich environment by exposing them to genetically engineered males that produced female pheromones. They were also able to manipulate the specific neurons responsible for pheromone perception as well as parts of the brain linked to sexual reward (secreting a group of compounds associated with anxiety and sex drive).
These data may provide the first direct evidence that aging and physiology are influenced by how the brain processes expectations and rewards, Pletcher says. In this case, sexual rewards specifically promoted healthy aging.
Fruit flies have been a powerful tool for studying aging because they live on average 60 days yet many of the discoveries in flies have proven effective in longer-lived animals, such as mice.
For decades, one of the most powerful ways to slow aging in different species was by limiting their food intake. In a previous study, Pletcher and his colleagues found that the smell of food alone was enough to speed up aging, offering new context for how dietary restriction works.
Male fruit flies that perceived sexual pheromones of their female counterparts without the opportunity to mate experienced rapid decreases in fat stores, resistance to starvation and more stress. The sexually frustrated flies lived shorter lives.
Read the rest here:
ANN ARBOR: U-M study: Fruit flies with better sex lives live longer
- Tier II INDV for Summer I or Fall 2010 (Project Soar) - May 14th, 2010 [May 14th, 2010]
- Medical Receptionist - May 25th, 2010 [May 25th, 2010]
- Student Health Advisory Committee - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- UA Career Services Kick-Off - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- International Alliance for the Prevention of AIDS (IAPA) - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- UA Best Buddies - Campus Club - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- International Alliance for the Prevention of AIDS - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- Physician Assistant Careers - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- Student Health Advisory Committe - December 21st, 2010 [December 21st, 2010]
- UA Chapter of Project Sunshine - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- Vive Peru - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- Surgery Undergraduate Research Fluency (SURF) Program - February 27th, 2011 [February 27th, 2011]
- Rehab Technician - March 19th, 2011 [March 19th, 2011]
- Medical Office Position - March 29th, 2011 [March 29th, 2011]
- Med-Start Summer Program/Counselors & Resident Assistants Needed - April 3rd, 2011 [April 3rd, 2011]
- Volunteer Training for Hospice Family Care - May 15th, 2011 [May 15th, 2011]
- Physiology : neuromuscular junction - motor unit - August 27th, 2011 [August 27th, 2011]
- Google I/O 2008 - Anatomy and Physiology of an Android - August 27th, 2011 [August 27th, 2011]
- The Science of Stress Physiology Emotions Fight Flight - August 28th, 2011 [August 28th, 2011]
- American Cancer Society Volunteer - August 28th, 2011 [August 28th, 2011]
- American Medical Student Association (AMSA) - August 28th, 2011 [August 28th, 2011]
- 16. Renal Physiology - August 28th, 2011 [August 28th, 2011]
- Plant Physiology: Phototropic Response (Britannica.com) - August 29th, 2011 [August 29th, 2011]
- 15. Cardiovascular Physiology (cont.) - August 29th, 2011 [August 29th, 2011]
- 14. Cardiovascular Physiology (cont.) - August 31st, 2011 [August 31st, 2011]
- 17. Renal Physiology (cont.) - August 31st, 2011 [August 31st, 2011]
- Human Physiology : What Is a Nucleotide? - September 1st, 2011 [September 1st, 2011]
- Lipoprotein Physiology: HDL (4/4) - September 3rd, 2011 [September 3rd, 2011]
- Heart Physiology (Ventricular filling: part 1/6) - September 3rd, 2011 [September 3rd, 2011]
- American Red Cross - September 4th, 2011 [September 4th, 2011]
- Muralcles - UA Service Club - September 4th, 2011 [September 4th, 2011]
- The Neuroscience Club - September 4th, 2011 [September 4th, 2011]
- Physical Therapy Opportunity - September 4th, 2011 [September 4th, 2011]
- 13. Cardiovascular Physiology - September 5th, 2011 [September 5th, 2011]
- Peripheral Nervous System: Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology - September 7th, 2011 [September 7th, 2011]
- Physiology Tour - September 11th, 2011 [September 11th, 2011]
- VivePeru's Winter 2011 Internships - September 11th, 2011 [September 11th, 2011]
- Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) - September 11th, 2011 [September 11th, 2011]
- Physiology of Lipoprotein Metabolism - September 13th, 2011 [September 13th, 2011]
- Anatomy and Physiology (Intro) - September 15th, 2011 [September 15th, 2011]
- Heart Physiology (Cardiac output: part 3/6) - September 16th, 2011 [September 16th, 2011]
- Lipoprotein Physiology: Overview (1/4) - September 17th, 2011 [September 17th, 2011]
- Respiratory Physiology Part 2 - September 24th, 2011 [September 24th, 2011]
- Global Brigades-Ghana - September 25th, 2011 [September 25th, 2011]
- UA College of Medicine Pediatrics Club - September 25th, 2011 [September 25th, 2011]
- Medical Opportunity over Spring Break - September 25th, 2011 [September 25th, 2011]
- Human Physiology : What Is Interphase? - September 25th, 2011 [September 25th, 2011]
- Swallowing (deglutition) from Anatomy - September 27th, 2011 [September 27th, 2011]
- Respiratory Physiology Part 1 - September 28th, 2011 [September 28th, 2011]
- Science in Action: Aero Medicine 1956 Vintage Physiology Training FIlm - September 30th, 2011 [September 30th, 2011]
- Human Body | Human Anatomy and Physiology - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Mr.Ford's Anatomy - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- The Physiology of Cardiac Output - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Digestive Physiology - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Endocrine System Physiology.wmv - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Anatomy - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Human Physiology : What Is Mutation? - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Anatomy and Physiology - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Human Physiology : What Is Protein Synthesis? - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Australian Coaches - Physiology and energy systems - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Renal Physiology - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Learning Anatomy and Physiology? - http://tinyurl.com/huanatomy - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- "Anatomy and Physiology", The Liver - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Homeostasis Physiology Biology - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Anatomy of the Ear and Physiology of Hearing (basics).wmv - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Interview about 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Strength Project Anatomy and Physiology: The Anatomical Position - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Autonomic Nervous System Physiology.wmv - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Peter Doherty, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Interview - October 6th, 2011 [October 6th, 2011]
- Chapter 1 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology.wmv - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Human Physiology for Regular People - Interactive Study Guide - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Rockefeller University Press Conference 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Ralph Steinman - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Muscle Physiology Chapter: Video 2 of 2 - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Boyles Law from Respiratory System - Anatomy - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Respiratory Physiology Chapter 13 - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- 35 Chapter 08 Part 02 Physiology - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Cell Physiology Chapter 2: Video 2 of 3 - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]
- Human Physiology : How Does the Body Make Blood? - October 7th, 2011 [October 7th, 2011]