Mind-body practices that elicit the relaxation response (RR) have been used worldwide for millennia to prevent and treat disease. The RR is characterized by decreased oxygen consumption, increased exhaled nitric oxide, and reduced psychological distress. It is believed to be the counterpart of the stress response that exhibits a distinct pattern of physiology and transcriptional profile.

We hypothesized that RR elicitation results in characteristic gene expression changes that can be used to measure physiological responses elicited by the RR in an unbiased fashion.

De onderzoekers bekeken de genetische expressie van genen bij 19 frequent mediterende personen en vergeleken die met 19 controle personen. Hun bevindingen ondersteunden de hypothese. Meditatie heeft direct invloed op gen niveau, en dat ging om meer dan 2000 genen. De genen die samenhangen met de stress response op cellulair niveau waren bij deze 2 groepen duidelijk meetbaar verschillend. De mediterenden hadden duidelijk een veel positiever patroon. 

Voor de experts onder ons citeren we de bevindingen:

2209 genes were differentially expressed in group M relative to group N1 (p<0.05) and 1561 genes in group N2 compared to group N1 (p<0.05). Importantly, 433 (p<10−10) of 2209 and 1561 differentially expressed genes were shared among long-term (M) and short-term practitioners (N2).

Gene ontology and gene set enrichment analyses revealed significant alterations in cellular metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, generation of reactive oxygen species and response to oxidative stress in long-term and short-term practitioners of daily RR practice that may counteract cellular damage related to chronic psychological stress.

A significant number of genes and pathways were confirmed in an independent validation set containing 5 N1 controls, 5 N2 short-term and 6 M long-term practitioners. 

Om dat heel populair te vertalen: met meditatie roest je minder van binnen, en ga je dus vermoedelijk ook langer mee... 

Conclusie 

This study provides the first compelling evidence that the RR elicits specific gene expression changes in short-term and long-term practitioners. Our results suggest consistent and constitutive changes in gene expression resulting from RR may relate to long term physiological effects.

Our study may stimulate new investigations into applying transcriptional profiling for accurately measuring RR and stress related responses in multiple disease settings. 

Dus: oefenen met mindfulness!

Bron

Dusek JA, Otu HH, Wohlhueter AL, Bhasin M, Zerbini LF, et al. (2008) Genomic Counter-Stress Changes Induced by the Relaxation Response. PLoS ONE 3(7): e2576 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002576.

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