Mitochondriaは生体のエネルギー工場である。ここが元気でなくては何事も始まらない。たとえ子供でもである。
マクロレベルでの即ち子供時代の不幸や逆境あるいは精神疾患がミクロレベルでの老化プロセスに重要なテロメア (telomere)短縮やmtDNAの改変と関係するという研究。
人間を物質体、エーテル体、アストラル体、自我の構成体と見るシュタイナーの独特の人間観とも関連する気がする。とすると子供時代の不遇は神界の音楽によって救われるのではないか。
Connection between childhood adversity 不幸、逆境, psychiatric disorders 精神疾患 seen at cellular level
Date:January 20, 2015 sciencedaily.com
Source: Women & Infants Hospital
Summary: An association between biological changes on the cellular level and both childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders has been identified by researchers. These changes in the form of telomere shortening and alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), are important in the aging process.
In a new study published online in Biological Psychiatry on January 16, 2015, researchers from Butler Hospital identify an association between biological changes on the cellular level and both childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders.
These changes in the form of telomere shortening and alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), are important in the aging process, and this new research provides evidence that psychosocial factors--specifically childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders-- may also influence these cellular changes and could lead to accelerated aging.
Mitochondria convert molecules from food into energy that can be used by cells and also play a key role in cellular growth, signaling, and death.
Telomere shortening is also a measure of advanced cellular aging.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telomere
Recent studies have examined the possible connection between mitochondria and psychiatric disorders, but the research is very limited, and no prior work has examined the relationship of mitochondrial DNA to psychosocial stress.
"We are interested in these relationships because there is now clear evidence that stress exposure and psychiatric conditions are associated with inflammation and health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Identifying the changes that occur at a cellular level due to these psychosocial factors allows us to understand the causes of these poor health conditions and possibly the overall aging process."
said Audrey Tyrka, MD, PhD, Director of the Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience at Butler Hospital and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University.
Tyrka and fellow researchers recruited 299 healthy adults from the community for the study.
Participants completed diagnostic interviews to assess psychiatric disorder diagnosis, and assess childhood adversities, including parental loss, and childhood abuse and neglect.
Participants were categorized into four groups based upon the presence or absence of childhood adversity and the presence or absence of lifetime depressive, anxiety, or substance use disorders.
Using standard techniques, researchers extracted DNA from whole blood samples for each participant and quantified telomere length and mtDNA copy number, a measure of mitochondrial DNA content.
Results of the study show childhood adversity and lifetime psychopathology were each associated with shorter telomeres and higher mtDNA content.
These effects were seen in individuals with major depression, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders, as well as those with parental loss and childhood maltreatment.
A history of substance disorders was also associated with significantly higher mtDNA copy numbers.
These findings indicate that childhood stress and some psychiatric disorders are linked to important cellular changes that may represent advanced cellular aging.
"Understanding this biology is necessary to move toward better treatment and prevention options for stress-related psychiatric and medical conditions, and may shed light on the aging process itself."
said Dr. Tyrka, also the director of Research for Butler Hospital.
nature.com/nrm/journal/v13/n10/fig_tab/nrm3439_F3
bioscience.org/2007/v12/af/2412/2
The human telomere and its relationship to human disease, therapy, and tissue engineering
Ian K. Moon, Michael B. Jarstfer
University of North Carolina, School of Pharmacy, Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7360