2024-07-12 13:15:40
The effects of moderate exercise are not only experienced by those who exercise, but also transmitted as a legacy at least to the second generation (grandchildren), as researched by Cajal-CSIC Company published inJournal of Neuroscience‘.
This work, carried out in rats, shows that training with moderate exercise has a longer-lasting effect than previously thought, benefiting up to the second generation, and is most likely due to the small group of micro RNA that is active by passing parents to children. throughout the generation.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that are involved in physiological processes that govern normal brain function and are capable of controlling gene expression. miRNAs are epigenetic inheritance patterns that are passed on to subsequent generations by sex cells.
Epigenetic inheritance consists of changes in the function of genes, caused by various mechanisms. These changes activate or deactivate genes without changing the DNA sequence, in response to environmental factors, such as diet or exercise. MicroRNAs, discovered in 1993, are known to be involved in physiological processes that govern normal brain function and microRNA profiles have been identified in association with the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
The results also suggest that the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle will also affect the child through the same mechanism mediated by microRNAs.
«Physical exercise causes changes in the amount of certain microRNAs that respond to physical activity in those who exercise. These microRNAs travel throughout the body, and they reach the sex cells that carry epigenetic information caused by exercise. And in this way the benefits of physical activity will pass from parents to children as shown in 2019. And now, with this new work, we have seen that also through their micro RNAs (miRNAs) will reach at least the grandchildren, explained. Jose Luis Trejowho has led research.
Although they did not study this process in female mice because of the great difficulty in differentiating the epigenetic effects of exercise, researchers believe that a similar process will work in mothers who exercise, in which micro RNAs will pass to their eggs.
Life
This finding is important given the current lack of evidence supporting the transgenerational transmission of positive outcomes from lifestyle interventions that target brain and cognition. “Discussing this issue is important, since it can provide valuable information to design more effective public health policies in the face of increasing anxiety in a sedentary lifestyle,” indicated Trejo.
The researchers also found that not all the beneficial effects inherited by the offspring of physically active mice were preserved in the offspring if their parents were sedentary, indicating a partial loss of the beneficial effect of exercise inherited from parents is mediated by microRNAs when subsequent generations have abandoned physical activity.
Due to sperm miRNAs as an epigenetic regulation of transgenerational inheritance of the effects of exercise and enrichment of the area becoming relevant, the small group of miRNAs and target genes found in this work can be considered as a potential mechanism that explains this effect.
Also noteworthy is that the results of this study can also be interpreted as evidence that the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle on physical and mental health can be transmitted to subsequent generations.
Together, these results point to an unexpected hypothesis of the beneficial effects of a moderate exercise program on cognition, and pave the way for further investigation of the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects, such as the exercise-specific miRNAs found in this study. , which can be used as mimetic drugs for healthy lifestyles.
Furthermore, these findings may be valuable in supporting evidence-based health policies in areas such as development, disease, and aging.
#Parents #pass #benefits #physical #exercise #brain #grandchildren