The hypothalamus下丘腦 is a small structure located deep within內 the brain. It plays a critical role in controlling growth, reproduction生殖 and metabolism代謝 - but now it could hold the key to ageing老化 too.
A team of scientists in the US looked at this region of the brain in mice小老鼠. They found that blocking a chemical in this area increased the animals' lifespan壽命. Healthy mice typically live for between 600 to 1000 days.
But the rodents嚙齒動物 in the study were living about a fifth longer without suffering problems that are common in old age, such as muscle loss or memory problems. Conversely反過來, when the scientists boosted提振 the substance in the hypothalamus, the animal's lifespan was shortened.
The researchers now want to fully understand the biological mechanism behind this process. They say the work could provide new insights見解 into age-related diseases - and in the future even raise the prospect of drugs that could increase our lifespan.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2013/05/130503_witn_ageing.shtml
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