Studie zeigt eine neue Kombinationstherapie aus zwei pflanzlichen Verbindungen zur Umkehrung kognitiver Beeinträchtigungen bei Mäusen
Mindestens 50 Millionen Menschen leben mit Alzheimer-Krankheit weltweit. Die Gesamtzahl der Alzheimer-Patienten könnte bis 152 2050 Millionen übersteigen. Die ersten Anzeichen einer kognitiven Beeinträchtigung bei Alzheimer-Patienten (AD) sind Gedächtnisprobleme und eine beeinträchtigte Entscheidungsfindung. Mit fortschreitender Krankheit erleiden die Patienten einen erheblichen Gedächtnisverlust und kognitive Schwierigkeiten. Es gibt keine Heilung für die Alzheimer-Krankheit und auch keine Mittel, um das Fortschreiten zu stoppen oder zu verlangsamen Gedächtnisverlust und Demenz (z.B. Alzheimer) erhöhen. Begrenzte Medikamente und andere Optionen sind verfügbar, die einige der Symptome lindern können. Bei der Alzheimer-Krankheit sammeln sich Amyloid-Plaques zwischen Neuronen im Gehirn von Patienten an. Bei gesunden Menschen, Protein fragments called amyloid beta protein are broken down and removed. But in case of Alzheimer, these fragments accumulate to form hard, insoluble amyloid plaques which contribute to impaired transmission of impulses across neurons and cause subsequent symptoms of Alzheimer Krankheit.
In einer Studie, die in Journal of Biological Chemistryhaben Forscher gezeigt, dass eine Kombination Therapie could reverse symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in mice who were genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer. Two promising plant-derived compounds were explored which have complimentary amyloidogenic properties, firstly EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) an important component of green tea and secondly FA (ferulic acid) which is present in tomatoes, rice, oats and carrots. Such natural dietary compounds are called ‘nutraceuticals’ – compounds which are well-tolerated natural supplements, have drug-like properties and could be simply incorporated into one’s diet.
Für die Analyse wurden 32 Mäuse mit Alzheimer like symptoms were randomly assigned into four groups. Each group had equal number of males and females and also healthy mice. When mice were 12 months old, they were given either (a) EGCG and FA (b) EGCG or FA or (c) a placebo once daily for a period of 3 months. The dosage given was 30 mg per kg of body weight as this dose is well-tolerated by humans and can be consumed as portion of a healthy dietary supplement. Before and after this special diet administration, researchers conducted neuropsychological tests which can analyze thinking and memory and thus make assessments about the disease. One of the tests done for memory assessment was the ‘Y-shaped maze’ which can test a mouse’s spatial working memory analogous to a human finding a way out of a building. Mice with Alzheimer like symptoms cannot navigate such a maze with ease as compared to healthy counterparts.
After administration of special diet for three months, mice having Alzheimer like symptoms performed similar to healthy mice in learning and memory tests. This suggested that combination therapy of EGCG-FA reverses cognitive impairment in mice having Alzheimer like symptoms. Mice treated with combination of EGCG-FA exhibited reduced abundance of amyloid-beta proteins when compared with individual treatment of these compounds. The underlying mechanism could be the ability of these compounds to prevent amyloid precursor proteins from breaking down into smaller protein fragments – amyloid beta – which accumulate in an Alzheimer patient’s brain as plaques. EGCG and FA together reduced neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the brain – both of which are important part of Alzheimer’s in humans. Research which is successful in mice may not translate in humans but such plant-derived substances or supplements offer significant promise towards Alzheimer’s therapeutics in humans.
Diese erfolgreiche Forschung an Mäusen könnte den Weg für Versuche am Menschen ebnen. Solche aus Pflanzen gewonnenen Substanzen oder Nahrungsergänzungsmittel bieten erhebliche Aussichten auf die Alzheimer-Therapie.
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Quelle (n)
Mori T et al. 2019. Die kombinierte Behandlung mit den Phenolen (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallat und Ferulasäure verbessert die Kognition und reduziert die Alzheimer-ähnliche Pathologie bei Mäusen. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 294(8). http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA118.004280
