Restoring Menin improved memory and bone mass in old mice — ScienceDaily
Researchers at Xiamen University in China found that restoring the Menin protein in a specific area of the hypothalamus of old mice improved memory, balance, bone mass and skin thickness. The changes were recorded 30 days after the intervention, ScienceDaily reports. The results were obtained in experiments on mice.
The main study was published in the journal PLOS Biology in March 2023. The team led by Lige Leng studied the role of Menin in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that regulates body temperature, hunger, sleep, metabolism and hormone production. The scientists found that the level of this protein declines with age in certain hypothalamic neurons of mice, but not in astrocytes or microglia.
Link to inflammation
In genetically modified animals with reduced Menin activity, inflammation in the hypothalamus increased, the skin became thinner, bone mass decreased and cognitive performance worsened. Their lifespan was also slightly shortened.
In another experiment, the team increased Menin production in the ventromedial hypothalamus of 20-month-old mice using gene delivery. The researchers also recorded reduced inflammation and improvements in certain metabolic indicators. In a separate survival analysis, mice lived longer after this intervention than control animals.
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D-serine and cognitive tests
The scientists found that as Menin declined, the concentration of D-serine also decreased. D-serine is an amino acid important for NMDA receptor function, signal transmission between neurons, learning and memory formation. Menin affects the production of the enzyme PHGDH, which is linked to the serine synthesis pathway.
When old mice were given D-serine in drinking water for three weeks, they performed better in learning and memory tests. At the same time, the supplement did not restore age-related losses in bone mass or skin thickness, unlike increasing Menin levels.
These results do not prove the effectiveness of D-serine in humans. In a small randomized 2016 study involving 50 healthy older adults, the amino acid improved results in only one test of spatial learning and problem-solving. High doses of D-serine also raised questions about kidney safety in animal experiments.
