Researchers have discovered the vital role of a hormone that men produce during puberty in early prediction of whether they might develop certain diseases later in life.
Scientists from the University of Nottingham have found that the new insulin-like peptide hormone INSL3 is stable over long periods of time and is an important early biomarker for predicting age-related diseases.
A research article published in Frontiers states: in Endocrinology INSL3 consists of the same cells in the testicles that produce testosterone, but unlike testosterone, which fluctuates throughout a man’s life, INSL3 remains constant, with levels at puberty remaining largely the same throughout a man’s life. decreasing slightly as it progresses. , age.
This makes it the first clear and reliable predictive biomarker of age-related diseases compared to any other measurable criteria.
The results show that INSL3 blood levels are associated with a number of age-related diseases such as bone weakness, impotence, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Finding the permanent nature of this hormone is very important because it means that a man with high INSL3 levels in his youth will have high INSL3 levels in old age. But someone who has low INSL3 at a young age will also have low INSL3 as they get older, making them more likely to develop typical age-related diseases.
This opens up exciting possibilities for predicting age-related diseases and finding ways to prevent the occurrence of these diseases through early intervention.
The study, led by Prof. Ravinder Anand Evil and Prof. Richard Evil, is the latest of three studies on the hormone.
Professor Ravinder Anand Evil explains: “The holy grail of aging research is to reduce the fitness gap that comes with age. Understanding why some people are more likely to develop disability and disease as they age is vital to be able to find measures to ensure that people not only live long, but also healthy lives as they age. Our discovery of hormones is an important step in understanding this and will pave the way not only for helping individuals, but also for alleviating the care crisis facing society . “
For the study, the team analyzed blood samples from 3,000 men from eight regional centers in northern, southern, eastern and western Europe, including the United Kingdom, with two samples taken four years apart.
The results showed that, unlike testosterone, INSL3 remained at stable levels in humans.
The study also showed that the male population, even when relatively young and healthy, still showed a large variation in blood levels of INSL3—almost 10-fold.
Professor Richard Eiffel adds: “We now know how important this hormone is in predicting disease and how it differs in men, and we are turning our attention to which factors have the greatest influence on blood levels of INSL3. Preliminary work suggests that early nutrition may play a role, but many other factors may play a role, such as genes or exposure to certain environmental factors that cause endocrine disruption.
Source: Medical Express
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