Natural childbirth, but not caesarean section, stimulates the production of protein in the newborn, which has a positive effect on the development of the brain and its functioning, also in adulthood, according to the work in the PLoS ONE magazine.
It is a protein abbreviated as UCP2, ie mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2. It takes part in energy changes in the cell and in cell division, it is also necessary for the proper development of neurons and the formation of connections between them (so-called synapses).
UCP2 mediates the nerve cells in the neutralization of the so-called free radicals, highly active molecules that can damage DNA and cell membranes. In addition, it is essential for the formation of fats, which are part of mother’s milk and are essential for the proper development of the nervous system.
Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven (Connecticut, USA), Instituto Cajal in Madrid and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, observed that natural birth triggers the production of UCP2 protein in neurons located in the hippocampus in neonates. . It is a structure responsible, inter alia, for memory processes.
Naturally born animals had significantly higher UCP2 levels on the day of delivery than mice born via caesarean section. These differences also persisted into adulthood.
Experiments in the cultures of neurons from the hippocampus of mouse embryos showed that blocking the function of the UCP2 protein by chemical inhibition of the development and growth of nerve cells. Not only were there fewer of them, but they were also smaller in size, with fewer nerve protrusions, and fewer places where synapses could develop. Similar effects were achieved by switching off the gene encoding the UCP2 protein.
In adult animals with a knockout of the UCP2 gene, abnormalities in the behavior that regulate the hippocampus have been found. In the new, unknown conditions, rodents were more fearful than regular mice, e.g. they moved more often along the walls of the new room, less often they went out into the open space and generally moved slower. They also had worse results in tests checking spatial memory.
“Our results indicate that UCP2 may play a key role in the proper development of the neural circuits in the brain and the behavior that they regulate,” comments lead author Tamas Horvath.
In his opinion, more and more frequent caesarean sections, dictated by convenience rather than medical reasons, may have unexpected long-term consequences for the development and functioning of the brain, also in humans. (PAP)
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