COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- New research indicates age-related declines in physical functioning may be controlled by genes and not by a decrease in cells, as previously believed.
Ohio State University researcher Andrej Rotter said the study indicates the aging process appears to trigger genetic changes in the brain.
He and his colleagues compared genes expressed in the cerebellum -- the area of the brain that controls posture, balance and muscle movement -- of young and aged mice and were surprised by their findings.
Rotter said they found sizable decreases in genes that produce growth hormone -- key to growth and development -- and in prolactin, a hormone that stimulates milk production and also helps maintain the immune system. Growth hormone gene expression was nearly 10 times higher in the young mouse cerebellum, while prolactin gene expression was nearly 15 times higher in young mice.
Rotter said: "We don't know what role either hormone plays in the cerebellum, but the fact there was such a drastic decrease in the hormones between the young and old mice means they represent genes that should be studied further."
The researchers presented their results this week in New Orleans during the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting.
