Do naked mole rats have the secret to reversing menopause? New discovery has convinced scientists

By Luke Andrews Health Reporter

Updated: 21:04 GMT, 21 February 2023

Naked mole rats could be the key to perpetual fertility in women, scientists have theorized.

In most mammals, including humans, females are born with a limited number of eggs and gradually become less fertile with age. In contrast, naked mole rats are known for their ability to father offspring into old age.

In the past, it was unclear whether the subterranean rodents were born with an extraordinary number of eggs or whether they had a unique ability to create new eggs as they got older.

But a study by scientists from Cornell University and the University of Pittsburgh has shown that they do both — and the team hopes studying the rats’ genetic peculiarities will help develop treatments that can reverse menopause in women .

Naked mole rats can produce new eggs outside the womb, study finds (stock image)

dr Miguel Brieno-Enríquez, a gynecologist at the University of Pittsburgh and the study’s lead author, said, “This [find] is important because if we can figure out how they are able to do this, we may be able to develop new drug targets or techniques to support human health.

“Although people are living longer, menopause still occurs at the same age.

“We hope that we can use what we learn from the naked mole rat to protect ovarian function later in life and prolong fertility.”

For the work, the scientists compared the ovaries of naked mole rats with those of mice.

By the age of eight days, a female naked mole rat has an average of 1.5 million eggs – almost 95 times more than mice of the same age.

Unlike mice, naked mole rats are also capable of producing new eggs after birth, with egg-bearing cells still dividing into new cells by the age of 10, the study found.

The experts said this suggested egg production is likely to continue throughout their 30-year lifespan.

dr Ned Place, a population medicine expert at Cornell University in New York and senior study author, said: “This finding is extraordinary.

“This challenges the dogma established almost 70 years ago that female mammals are endowed with a limited number of eggs before or shortly after birth without the ovarian reserve being expanded afterwards.”

dr Brieno-Enriquez added, “The ovary is more than just a baby factory. Ovarian health affects cancer risk, heart health, and even lifespan.

“A better understanding of the ovary could help us find ways to improve overall health.”

Like bees or ants, naked mole rats live in colonies and share tasks, including defence, digging tunnels, caring for young, and gathering food.

There is only a single dominant female – or queen – who produces eggs.

The challenging lifestyle has made her one of the most communicative beings in the world.

Over millions of years of evolution, they’ve shed things that drain their energy—like fur.

They use their signature elastic, puffy skin to squeeze through tunnels.

The unsightly creature has fascinated physicians for decades. It’s cancer-resistant — and has the lowest metabolic rate of any mammal.

Evolution has turned off everything that isn’t strictly necessary – including extra nerve receptors so it can’t feel pain.

dr Brieno-Enriquez added: “Naked mole rats are the strangest mammals.

“They are the longest-lived rodents, they almost never get cancer, they don’t feel pain like other mammals, they live in underground colonies – and only the queen can have babies.

“But to me, the most amazing thing is that they never stop having babies — their fertility doesn’t decrease with age. We want to understand how they do it.”

The study is published in Nature Communications.

What is menopause?

Menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to conceive naturally.

It usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.

It’s a normal part of aging and is caused by the drop in the sex hormone estrogen.

Some women go through this period with few or no symptoms.

Others suffer from hot flashes, trouble sleeping, mood swings, and brain fog that can last for months or years and change over time.

HRT replaces hormones and is the main treatment for treating symptoms – which can be severe and disrupt daily life.

Menopause occurs when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone estrogen and releasing an egg each month.

I spend half the year with my husband on a cruise ship. Christine Kesteloo

• I live on a cruise ship six months a year with my husband who works on it.
• Our cabin is tiny but perfect for us, although I wish the bathroom was bigger.
• The wraparound private porch is probably the best part — but no laundry either.

Hello, I’m Christine — I live half the year on a cruise ship and share my experiences on TikTok (@dutchworld_americangirl).

My husband is the cruise ship’s chief engineer, so I’m his “wife on board” and we live on the ship on a three-month, three-month free schedule. When we don’t live on board, we call the Netherlands our home.

I used to be a cruise director and we have both been at sea for over 45 years. Many people would find our 3,500-square-foot crew cabin cramped, but for us it’s perfect.

Let me take you to our room.

As you enter you can see our bed and built in storage

I don’t cook, I don’t clean, I don’t make my own bed and I don’t wash. Christine Kesteloo

Our crew cabin is located on deck seven, right at the bow of the ship. Crew cabins are not all the same and can be categorized based on rank and position. Some people get their own cabins and others share. Luckily we have the place to ourselves.

Our room has a queen bed with storage underneath and a TV mounted in front.

There are two TVs in our room (the other is above our wine fridge) and the ship has hundreds of movies for us to watch and access to many TV channels.

We have two TVs in our room. Christine Kesteloo

We spend many nights here, lulled to sleep by the waves while watching our favorite shows.

Room service is free for us on the ship and the menu is on the TV. We order regularly so we can have quiet time away from guests and crew.

While I’m happy with the size of our cabin, the bathroom is quite small

It’s hard to shave my legs in the tiny shower. Christine Kesteloo

Our bathroom is equipped with the essentials: toilet, mirror, shower and sink.

To shave my legs I have to put a towel on the toilet, sit down and stretch one leg into the shower. But hey, it gets the job done.

The toilet, like most on cruises, flushes with a loud vacuum noise you’ll never forget. It’s pretty scary at first.

We also have to be very careful about what we put in our toilets so we don’t clog them, only toilet paper – no paper towels or sanitary products.

We don’t have a closet, but we have a wardrobe, a couch and a dining table

The wardrobe mainly contains my clothes. Christine Kesteloo

As far as storage goes, we have a wardrobe that is divided into three sections. You can bet I use most of the closet space.

Steamers and irons are not allowed on board, so I try to hang our clothes and keep them wrinkle-free.

We also have a small dining table with two chairs, a desk, a wine fridge and a window with a ledge big enough to use as a dressing table.

We don’t have a washer or dryer, so our laundry is picked up twice a week

I put all our laundry in a cloth bag and put a piece of paper inside that says our name, room number, date and the items inside.

Our laundry is usually cleaned and returned within 24 to 48 hours. I give my room steward an extra few bucks every time he picks up our laundry and drops it off at board cleaning.

The clean clothes come back on hangers, so all I have to do is put them back in my closet. Our room is also regularly cleaned by the staff.

The best thing about our room is the private wraparound veranda overlooking the ship’s bow

Our view is so peaceful. Christine Kesteloo

The bridge of the ship, which is sort of like the control center, is one deck above us, and we have a wraparound balcony partially below. Many days at sea it is too windy to sit outside. When the wind dies down, I’m the first to grab my towel and bask in the sun.

I love to enjoy the sun out here when I can. Christine Kesteloo

In my opinion we have the best room on the ship. I haven’t seen a better view.

Overall, there are many things I love about living on a cruise ship

I love not having to cook or do laundry. I also love living debt free with no car payments.

Living minimalist is pretty nice too, especially since we don’t have the space not to.

It’s just four suitcases, us and the sea.

WATCH NOW: Insider Inc.’s Popular Videos

Loading…

SERGEI ILNITSKY v AFP (Files) Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin looks on at a meeting with business leaders held by Russian and Chinese presidents at the Kremlin in Moscow in this July 4, 2017 file photo. (Photo by Sergei ILNITSKY / POOL / AFP)

SERGEI ILNIZKY / AFP

Evguéni Prigojine, here in 2017, is the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group.

INTERNATIONAL – Tensions between the Russian army and Wagner’s mercenaries are rising. The head of the Russian paramilitary group Yevgeny Prigoyine on Tuesday, February 21, accused his country’s operatives of committing “treason” by what he described as refusing to provide equipment to his mercenaries on the front line in eastern Ukraine deliver.

These statements by the entrepreneur mark an escalation in the conflict between his Wagner group and the Russian army, which seems to be competing on the ground in Ukraine. Tensions have become increasingly apparent in recent weeks as Russian forces attempt to capture the eastern town of Bakhmout, with the Army and Wagner each claiming progress and at times contradicting one another.

What comes after this ad?

“The Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense are issuing orders at all costs asking not only not to give the Wagner paramilitary group ammunition, but also not to help it with air transport,” Yevgeny Prigoyine ranted in a voice recording released by his press service on Telegram.

Army “frontal opposition” to Wagner

“There is a frontal opposition that is nothing less than an attempt to destroy Wagner. It can be compared to a betrayal of the fatherland as Wagner fights for Bakhmout and suffers hundreds of casualties every day,” he added.

While Yevgeny Prigozhin has repeatedly criticized the Russian high command in the past, this ad hominem attack on Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, two of Vladimir Putin’s most important power figures, is clearly an escalation.

What comes after this ad?

Russia’s Defense Ministry responded in the evening with a statement detailing the number of munitions supplied for “volunteer assault squadrons,” as the military seem to call Wagner’s men.

“All requests for ammunition for the attack units will be fulfilled as soon as possible,” the ministry assured, promising new deliveries from Saturday and denouncing the shortage reports in this area as “absolutely wrong”.

Thousands of prisoners in the ranks of Wagner

The ministry once again hailed the “courage” and “denial” of Russian “volunteers” in combat and denounced the “attempts at partition” as “counterproductive and only playing in the enemy’s favour.”

What comes after this ad?

These tensions also illustrate the difficulties encountered by Russian forces three days before the anniversary of the start of the offensive against Ukraine, which was soon to end with the capture of Kiev and is now deadlocked.

Wagner, who has recruited thousands of prisoners to fight in Ukraine, has been leading the assault on Bakhmout since the summer and recently captured a number of nearby settlements to encircle the town. On Tuesday, Evguénie Prigojine accused the high command of even forbidding Wagner’s fighters to supply “shovels for digging trenches.”

See also on The Huffpost:

You cannot view this content for the following reasons:

• You have rejected cookies related to third-party content by logging in. You can therefore not play our videos, which require third-party cookies to work.
• You are using an ad blocker. We advise you to disable it to be able to access our videos.

If neither of these two cases applies to you, contact us at [email protected].

“Italy will give everything possible Help to create the conditions for negotiations, but until then it will provide all kinds of military, financial and civilian support. Those who also support Ukraine militarily are the ones who work for them Peace. Italy has no intention of vacillating and will not do so.” Guaranteed full support for Kyiv the premiere Giorgia Meloniafter meeting in the Ukrainian capital with the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Arrived in the country invaded by Russia at 2 a.m. between Monday and Tuesday, the train carrying the Italian delegation crossed the border that marked the Poland out ofUkraine after a 15-hour journey culminating in the prime minister’s first visit to the war-torn country’s capital Wladimir Putinfirst time guest of Zelensky.

The theme of military support provided From Italy and by allies was the focus of the meeting between the two leaders and melons He specified that “there is currently no sending of on the table airplanes‘ because it ‘is a decision that has to be made with international partners. We focused on anti-aircraft systems, Samp TSpade, skyguard. Defense has priority infrastructure And Citizens‘ he specified. A theme by airplanes also elevated to the European arena by Zelensky himself, while London has already commented positively and pointed out that their arrival a Kyiv “It’s only a matter of time.” Talking instead of negotiating, e.g melons the peace proposal must come from the attacked country, because “nothing can be decided without Ukraine”, “and therefore it is essential that the initiative comes from the President Zelensky“. The goal of true peace, he continued, “is achieved by repeating that the international community does not accept the invasion of sovereign states, does not accept a world where violence redraws the boundaries between states where those who believe they are militarily stronger believes it has the right to invade its neighbors. You must take this matter seriously.”

The majority and statements by Berlusconi – Then melons praised theUkrainewho “has already won his battle before the world to affirm his identityand “beyond a few Testify‘ he reassured the majority’s compactness about support for Kyiv. An indirect reference to his ally’s words over the last few days Silvio Berlusconiwhich he had attacked Zelensky judging him “very negatively” for “his stubbornness in Donbass”. “To me, the facts and everything are worth it houses of Parliament He was asked to vote for Ukraine, the parties that are part of the majority voted for him – he specified melons -. Apart from a few explanations, the majority has actually always been united. There is a clearly articulated programme, it has always been respected by everyone and I trust that will continue to be the case.” And the Ukrainian President also quotes the leader of come on italy: “Some leaders have the right to think the real problem is approach Italian company who gave this leader a mandate. I believe the house of Berlusconi was never bombed, tanks never arrived in his yard, nobody killed his family membersShe never had to pack at 3am to escape and stuff thanks to the brotherly love of Russia. I – he continued – wish peace to all Italian families, even those who do not support us, but ours is a great tragedy that must be understood. I want them to come here and see for themselves the trail of blood they left behind.”

The journey from melons it comes at a very delicate moment for the fate of the conflict. A very high stake has been at stake in the last few weeks: the first step is expected Fly in what is believed to become the new spring offensive of the Federation we are witnessing the long-distance battle between them USA And Chinawith Beijing who could finally try to play the role of mediator between the parties, while the Ukrainian president continues to call for new and ever more powerful ones weapons to the NATO-EU bloc.

The simultaneity with Biden’s journey – Meloni’s journey never crosses that of the American President Joe Bidenwho also arrived in Kyiv a day earlier than the Italian guide, which was a historic trip by the boss White House. A visit that also delayed travel plans melons. The two chiefs of executive never met, despite stops in Poland and Ukraine. Indeed, while the head of the US administration returned to the EU member country from his meeting with Zelenskyy, the prime minister was locked in a bilateral deal with the Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and with the President Andrzej Duda. A missed meeting that did not go unnoticed, so much so that Tuesday morning the White House felt it necessary to specify Meloni expected shortly in Washington to meet Biden: The President, they say, “cannot wait” to “salute” the Prime Minister “when their programs are aligned.” And they later confirmed that in their call, the two leaders “discussed their ongoing close coordination in support to Ukraine, including security, economic and humanitarian assistance.” However, late Tuesday morning, Meloni set foot on Ukrainian soil. And after the institutional meetings in Kiev it will continue Bucha And irpinwhere two of the symbolic massacres of innocent civilians from the Russian invasion of Ukraine took place.

The sending of military aid from Italy – From Rome the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajaniin an interview with La Stampa, he explains that the relay in Kiev between Biden and Meloni “has great importance” that “shows the unity of the West and the West Born in defending the independence of Ukraine”. And he then adds that the arms shipments will continue: “We have already approved that Sixth Package and the shipment of the material will be completed. In a few weeks, in cooperation with the French, we will also send the missile system to Ukraine Samp T for air defense”. But come on hunt He explains: “We haven’t talked about it yet, but if we do, we have to coordinate with the allies, find out what kind of planes they will send, because it doesn’t make sense to supply the Ukrainians with different models, then there is the problem from train pilots. In short, it seems to me practically impossible to send Italian fighters”.

Putin’s speech and Beijing’s peace plan – As mentioned, Meloni’s journey takes place in a climate of tension which, however, could lead to a turning point in the conflict. While the head of the Palazzo Chigi is in Kiev, the parliamentarians of the Federal Assembly are speaking from Moscow dumaAnd Wladimir Putin who delivered the Presidential speech on the state of the federation, returned to accuse the West and further escalate tensions between the conflicting parties. News from China is also expected Xi Jinping ready to present his 12 point peace plan to be presented to the two groups. Not surprisingly, on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, is in Moscow to demonstrate the plan to the Russian executive. An idea that could definitely give him the scepter mediator in the Ukraine conflict, a possibility being fought by its major international rival, the United States, which has unsurprisingly increased tensions with Beijing in the field in recent weeks espionageTo Taiwan and in the area ofIndo-Pacific.