Hypothalamic control of ageing

摘要

Ageing is closely associated with both nutrition and inflammation, and some neurons can mediate environmental influences on ageing in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila. Guo Zhang et al. focus on the hypothalamus, a brain region that is crucial for neuroendocrine interaction between the central nervous system and the periphery. They show that activation of IKK- p7 NF-κB in the hypothalamus of mice accelerates the ageing process and shortens lifespan. Inhibition of IKK-p7 NF-κB, which is a mediator of metabolic inflammation, delays ageing and extends lifespan. NF-κB activation results in a decline of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) levels and suppresses neurogenesis.