A new research indicates that sex-starved males have shorter life span, at least so far as fruit flies are concerned.
The latest study has been published in the journal Science, which highlights the fact that sexual frustration can impair the health of fruit flies and may also cause premature death.
Scientists suggest that male flies, which were roused to mate, but were stopped from doing so, had increased stress level and their lives reduced by up to 40 percent. The researchers also pointed out that flies that could copulate when then were incited had less stress and also lived longer.
The researchers explained that in the experiment fruit flies were put in close proximity to some genetically modified males who could actually release female sex pheromones. Usually, female flies use these hormones to attract nearby potential males. When the genetically altered males secreted these hormones the normal males were immediately aroused but they could not mate.
The researchers found that the flies that were attracted but could not mate showed high levels of stress, which is also a decrease in their fat-stores, and these flies had their life span reduced significantly.
"We immediately observed that they looked quite sick very soon in the presence of these effeminised males," said Dr Scott Pletcher at the University of Michigan, co-author of the research.
The researchers say that the common fruit fly has a very short life expectancy of around 60 days only, which makes them ideal to study aging. The scientists also claim that the genes that regulate a fly's lifespan are supposed to be very similar to that found in humans.
The researchers also studied the neurons that were involved in the aging process. A brain chemical, called neuropeptide F (NPF), was found very helpful for the study.
Mating usually regulates neuropeptide to normal levels; however, when it stayed high in flies, it resulted in detrimental physiological concerns.
The study, which was published in the journal Science, suggests that mating can be beneficial but more research is required to find more details.
