Reaction of flying or fighting triggered by non-adrenaline bones

Have you ever wondered why some of us would stay and fight in the face of danger while others would come out of there?

Apparently, researchers at Columbia University have discovered and found that it is not adrenaline that triggers the "fight or flight" reaction, but bones that trigger the reaction.

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The osteocalcin hormone triggers a flight or fight reaction

When humans and animals face a predator or sudden danger, the heart rate accelerates, breathing becomes heavier and glucose is sent throughout the body to prepare the person or animal to escape or stay and fight.

Columbia researchers found that bone vertebrates needed the skeleton to trigger this flight or combat reaction. According to their work, shortly after the brain has calculated the danger, it sends a message to the skeleton to allow it to release into the blood the hormone osteocalcin, essential to trigger the fight or flight response.

"In bone vertebrates, treble stress The answer is impossible without osteocalcin, "said Gerard Karsenty, MD, Ph.D., director of the Department of Genetics and Development at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Vagelos of Columbia University, as well as the University of Ottawa. principal investigator of the study in a press release. " completely changes the way we think about how responses to acute stress occur. "

Researchers have proven that bones are more than just calcified tubes

For a long time researchers have considered bones as calcified tubes, but Karsenty's work over the years has shown that the skeleton has an influence on other organs of the body. Through his research, we have learned that the skeleton releases osteocalcin, a substance that crosses the bloodstream and influences the functions of the brain, muscles, pancreas and other organs of the body. More recent studies have shown that osteocalcin helps regulate metabolism.

Since the bones already protect the organs from danger – the skull protects the brain from trauma – it's not surprising that they allow vertebrates to escape danger.

Mice panic when they are presented with predator urine

In order to confirm this theory, the researchers administered mice to the predator urine and another stressor and then studied the bloodstream to detect changes. In about two to three minutes, the level of osteocalcin increased, as did heart rate, body temperature, and blood glucose, as the fight or flight reaction began. In humans, the researchers found that osteocalcin increased when they had to speak in public or were subjected to cross-examination and that they were stressed.

Mice genetically engineered to not produce osteocalcin did not have any reaction. "Without osteocalcin, they did not react strongly to the perceived danger," says Karsenty. "In the wild, they would have a short day."