Study shows: Lonely ants die earlier

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In addition, as scientists from the University of Lausanne (Unil) showed in the study, isolated ants behave differently: They become more hyperactive and move more near walls, Unil wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

Biologists used workers from the ant species Camponotus Fellah for their experiments. The insects were separated from other insects and locked alone in plastic boxes containing food and water for 24 hours. As a control, ants were locked in the same boxes in groups of ten animals.

Oxidative stress in ants

After 24 hours, genetic tests were performed on the ants. These showed increased expression of genes called redox reactions in isolated ants. This led to the accumulation of oxygen radicals in cells called oenocytes, which correspond to liver cells in insects.

In particular, this means that the ants suffered from oxidative stress. This is known to accelerate aging. Tests showed that the researchers were able to reverse the harmful process by applying antioxidants (antagonists of oxygen radicals) to isolated ants.

Social isolation in humans

These results will help us better understand the effects of isolation on people. “Social isolation also leads to stress in people by increasing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone,” study leader Laurent Keller, a former professor of ecology at the University of Lausanne, told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

“One can easily imagine that administering antioxidants could have positive effects on people suffering from social isolation. But you would need to do a study to test this,” says Keller.

(SDA)

Source : Blick