Squirrels Hibernation process Able to Cure Stroke

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WASHINGTON - Alaska Scientists claim to have found a way to make the squirrels hibernate. Later this process will be applied to humans suffering from stroke or heart attack. Journal of Neurosciece said that the new technique only works on squirrels studied by the researchers during their hibernation season and not outside the normal hibenrasi season. Researchers at the universities of Alaska, Fairbanks, studying the origins of Arctic squirrels given caffeine substances will accelerate them in a hibernating. Other substances are also provided to them during the period of a year to see if it can stimulate the brain that promote adenosine molecule to associate itself to the receptor. However, this can cause drowsiness. "When a squirrel is due to begin hibernating when people feel drowsy, it's because the molecules have attached themselves to the adenosine receptors in the human brain," says Dr. Tulasi Jinka, lead author of the study, as quoted by the Straits Times, Wednesday (27 / 7 / 2011). Adenosine slows nerve cell activity. When the animals do hibernate, they will experience a very low body temperature and breathe a little oxygen. But in the process of hibernation they did not suffer brain damage. If scientists can master this process in humans, then they can potentially prevent the damage caused by severe trauma, for example when a person stops breathing due to heart attack or stroke. However, the realization of this is still quite long. The researchers found that the squirrels showed inaction or circumstances in which the oxygen consumption fell one per cent of the metabolic rate during rest. There are only two of the six squirrels can perform its normal off-season hibernation. Researchers are not sure what causes the brain to be sensitive enough squirrels to generate adenosine, normal to the hibernation state. The next step is to test the process in mice, the nervous system is more similar to humans.