Inadequate Sleep and Stress Causes Cellular Aging in The Elderly

October 29, 2008

Researchs and Penn State of Medicine show a protein response reaction to stress induced by sleep deprivation.

Sleep and Stress Can Cause Cellular Aging

Studies have found that inadequate sleep in elderly who experience sleep disturbances, could aggreate aging cells like Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases.

Young Mice were used as an experiment to determine effects of sleep deprivation and aging. The experiment was conducted on a 3,6,9, or 12 hours basis of sleep deprivation. On the six hour of sleep deprivation, mice demonstrated the unfolded protein response (UPR) system. The unfolded protein response is part of the quality control system for monitoring protein synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum, that is the cellular compartment where some proteins are made. Old mice which were not stress by sleep deprivation were shown to already have an impaired UPR.

The results speculate that sleep disturbance in older humans are heavily burden on already stressed protein in the system.

Source: Penn Medicine

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