How do the genes of brain dopamine system play an important role in prolonging life?

Researchers at research institute of University at Buffalo found how the genes of brain dopamine system play an important role in prolonging life.

The study was led by a senior researcher Panayotis(Peter) K. Thanos at the Royal Irish Academy. He and his research team studied the dopamine gene in mice to assess their impact on the life and behavior. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain to help to control rewarding and pleasure center, helping to regulate body mobility and emotional reactions.

The researchers found that the dopamine D2 receptor gene (D2R) significantly affects lifetime, weight and activity, but it only have a role when the environmental compatibility (including social interaction, sensory and cognitive stimulation, etc.). The key is to be combined with exercise. Thanos said, "Exercise is an important part of enriching environment, which is an important factor that gene shows effect on brain function and behavior."

It was found in the research that, relying on the expression and regulation of D2R gene, the survival time of mice living in a good environment was increased by 16% to 22% compared with mice living in the general environment. Thanos said, "These results are the first to show that D2R gene and environment reciprocally affect survival time and aging. This research decipher the individual differences of longevity at the level of genes and environment."

The results are very meaningful for the exploration of the effect of the interaction between inheritance and environment on lifetime and activities of people.

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