A new study in mice has revealed that muscle mass may help maintain a strong immune system.
New research in mice has revealed that strong skeletal muscles play an important role in maintaining an effective immune system. This is particularly the case during severe chronic illnesses, which can otherwise wear the immune system down.
In addition, skeletal muscles may combat the process of cachexia. This refers to the wasting away of muscle and fat that often accompanies severe chronic illness, alongside a weakening of the immune system.
The research, which scientists at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have now published in the journal Science Advances, lays the groundwork for future studies to determine if the same is true in humans.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), cachexia typically accompanies severe chronic illnesses such as cancer. It is characterized by the wasting away of the body’s muscle and fat.
Cachexia may be responsible for up to a third of cancer-related deaths. It can also affect people with other serious conditions, such as AIDS, chronic kidney diseases, and heart failure.
According to Dr. Alfred Goldberg — of the Harvard University School of Medicine in Cambridge, MA — cachexia may be due to the bodyovercompensating when it attempts to take energy from muscle and fat to help fight a severe illness. However, exactly why and how this happens are still largely unknown.
COULD DRUGS SUCH AS PROZAC COMBAT FOOD POISONING? Serotonin can reduce the severity of infections caused by the bacterium E. coli O157, a common cause of food poisoning. This raises the intriguing possibility that doctors could use drugs that boost serotonin levels, such as Prozac, to treat gut bacterial infections.
Consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157 can cause severe, potentially fatal food poisoning. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.
The National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases estimate that Shiga toxin-producing E. coli causes around 265,000 infections each year in the United States. They also estimate that E. coli O157 causes 36% of these infections.
The World Health Organization (WHO) do not recommend using antibiotics to treat E. coli O157 infections. They indicate that antibiotics might make the infection worse by increasing the risk of complications.
Research at the University of Texas (UT) and Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, now suggests that drugs that boost serotonin levels, such as the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine), could serve as potential treatments.
Scientists know that serotonin works in the brain, where it passes signals between nerve cells and helps regulate sleep and mood, among other functions.
According to Cell Host and Microbe, studies show that changes in the microbiota influence behavior and have links to neurological diseases, such as autism.
The vast majority of microorganisms in the microbiota are beneficial,‘friendly’ bacteria that provide health benefits, such as enhancing immunity. Others influence levels of neurotransmitters, including serotonin in the gut.
