Social Loneliness Found to Worsen Arteriosclerosis in Mice

   Tokyo, Feb. 9 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese team has found that social loneliness decreases the levels of oxytocin, known as the "happy" or "love" hormone, in mice, resulting in lipid metabolism disorders in the liver and worsening arteriosclerosis.
   The team of Keio University researchers and others said that loneliness without social connections contributes to the development of mental illness, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
   Clinical studies conducted on humans have shown that loneliness increases an incidence of myocardial infarction. But the detailed mechanism of how that happens had not been fully understood.
   Atsushi Anzai, a lecturer at the private university, and his colleagues divided sibling mice born from the same mothers into groups of four or five and observed them for 12 weeks.
   They analyzed the risk of developing arteriosclerosis and lipid metabolism disorders, as well as the effect of oxytocin on the liver. Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus in the brain and released into the bloodstream, not only facilitates childbirth but also affects emotions.

(2025/02/09-18:32)

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