Afslapningsteknikker kan ændre kroppens genaktivitet og modvirke skader fra kronisk stress. Studiet viste, at både kort- og langtidsudøvere af afslapning oplevede ændringer i gener, der påvirker stofskifte og cellers respons på stress. Dette kan forklare de sundhedsmæssige fordele ved regelmæssig afslapning.
Titel på undersøgelse:
Genomic Counter-Stress Changes Induced by the Relaxation Response.
| |
Hele abstrakt på originalsprog:
Mind-body practices that trigger the relaxation response (RR), characterized by reduced oxygen consumption, increased exhaled nitric oxide, and lower psychological distress, have been used globally for millennia to prevent and treat disease, acting as a counterbalance to the stress response with its distinct physiological and transcriptional patterns. In a study examining whole blood transcriptional profiles, 19 healthy long-term daily RR practitioners (group M), 19 healthy controls (group N1), and 20 N1 individuals who completed 8 weeks of RR training (group N2) were assessed, revealing 2209 genes differentially expressed in group M versus N1 (p<0.05), 1561 genes in N2 versus N1 (p<0.05), and 433 genes shared between M and N2 (p<10−10), with gene ontology and enrichment analyses indicating significant changes in cellular metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, reactive oxygen species generation, and oxidative stress response that may mitigate chronic stress-related cellular damage. These findings, validated in an independent set of 5 N1 controls, 5 N2 short-term, and 6 M long-term practitioners, provide compelling evidence of specific, consistent gene expression changes induced by RR in both short- and long-term practitioners, suggesting potential long-term physiological benefits and highlighting the utility of transcriptional profiling for objectively measuring RR and stress-related responses in various disease contexts.