The beneficial effects of fasting on the body. May accelerate cell regeneration
Over the decades, numerous studies have shown that a strict low-calorie diet may be the key to a longer and healthier life. But why does this happen? A new study analyzing the effects of fasting on mice has found that as little as 24 hours of fasting causes a metabolic switch that can accelerate the regeneration of stem cells in the gut.
These comorki as we age lose their ability to regenerate effectively, and they are a source ofodłem of all newore intestinal, so this decrease may make it more difficult to reot to recover from gastrointestinal infections or other conditions, whichore affect the intestines. But fasting can remedy this.
– Fasting has many good effectsoin for the gut, whichore include primarily increasing recovery, but also has potential applications in any type of disease thatory affects the gut, such as infections or cancers. Understanding how fasting improves the ogolny health, including the role of the comostem rec in intestinal regeneration, is the primary task of our team – said Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) biologist Omer Yilmaz, one of the authors of theoIn a publication in the journal „Cell Stem Cell”.
The metabolic change does not just mean that the cellsorki consume fat as a source ofodło energy instead of carbohydrateow, but most importantly improves their function. ComoStem cells in the gut renew raceołka about every five days, but the researchers believe that with the activation of this metabolic change, the process mohunger would occur much faster.
Teamsoł scientistow under the direction of Yilmaz tested mice for their comostem cells in the intestines. Researchers found that fasting dramatically improves the ability of the comorek stem cells to regenerate, zaroboth in older and young mice.
In mice thatorym limited feedingoIn the researchers observed that the comorki begin to break down fatty acids instead of glucose, which stimulates the comostem cells for regeneration. They also observed that regeneration was twice as fast and better in fasting mice in poroIn comparison to those thatore normally accepted food and that it can be accelerated by using molecules thatora activates the same metabolic switch. Such an intervention in humans could potentially helpoc elderly people in recovery from gastrointestinal infections or cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
– Our research has provided evidence of theoin that hungerowka causes metabolic transformation in the comointestinal stem cells and can increase the utilization of carbohydrateow or fat burning – said David Sabatini of MIT, roalso involved in the study. – Interestingly, the conversion of these comorek on acid oxidationoin adipose cells has significantly increased their function. Pharmacological targeting of this pathway may provide therapeutic opportunities to improve tissue homeostasis in age-related pathologies – added.
Researchers sequenced the matrix RNA of comostem cells taken from fasting mice and found that fasting activated transcription factors called PPARs (Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorsow), ktore turn on genes involved in metabolizing acidoin fatty. In this case, this activation resulted in the cells of theorki break down fatty acids instead of glucose, while increasing the ability of the cell’sorek to regenerate.
When the researchers blocked PPAR activation, regeneration was no longer as effective, but that’s not all. By giving mice a compound called GW501516 – ktory activates PPAR activity, replicated some of the beneficial effects of fasting in mice without fasting.
Scientists still have a long way to go before they fully understand the extent of this metabolic change and how it works – no moalready considering whether it can be manipulated as easily in humans as in mice. The goal is to develop an agent – pills, thanks to whichorej it will be possible to activate such a pathway without post.
