Levodopa, homocysteine and Parkinson's disease: What's the problem?

- Posted by admin in English

Parkinson patients sometimes complain that their symptoms are not due to their disease, but to their medication. This review shed some light on this problem.

For patients with Parkinson’s disease, dopamine replacement is the treatment of choice, and the most commonly used drug is levodopa (L-dopa), a dopamine precursor. Because dopamine itself cannot cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) owing to its large molecular weight, L-dopa is administered.

However, L-dopa can easily convert to other structures, such as 3-O-methyldopa catalyzed by the enzyme catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) before it crosses the BBB or reaches the brain. To prevent this undesirable conversion, L-dopa is often prescribed along with COMT inhibitors, such as entacapone. Moreover, it can cause serious side effects, such as dyskinesia. It accelerates PD progression by inducing neuronal cell death through self-oxidation.

These treatments of Parkinson's disease tends to further elevate circulating homocysteine levels and peripheral nerves damage. enter image description here High levels of homocysteine in the blood have been associated with certain pathologies, cardiac, neurological, rheumatic or psychiatric. Evidence exists linking elevated homocysteine levels with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

There is also evidence that elevated homocysteine levels and low levels of vitamin B6 and B12 are risk factors for mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Oxidative stress induced by homocysteine may also play a role in schizophrenia.

Accumulating deficiencies of B12, B6 vitamins and folic acid are presumed to be the substrate for the homocysteine elevation.

So B-vitamin therapy may reduce homocysteine levels. This begs the question of whether Parkinson's disease patients on levodopa should be concurrently treated with ongoing B-vitamin therapy. There is a substantial literature on this topic that has accumulated over the last quarter-century, and this topic is still debated.

This review summarizes the relevant literature with the aim of approximating closure on this issue. Also, noteworthy is that Parkinson's disease patients with renal insufficiency may not tolerate cyanocobalamin, the standard oral B12 supplement due to facilitation of renal decline.

Here are some key points: • Levodopa treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) elevates circulating homocysteine levels. • Elevated homocysteine and/or B-vitamin depletion correlates with an increased risk of cognitive decline. • Lifetime monitoring of B-vitamin levels could address this problem. • It may be necessary to prescribe oral B12, B6, folic acid to levodopa-treated PD patients. • Levodopa-treated PD patients with renal insufficiency should take methylcobalamin rather than cyanocobalamin.

Read the original article on Pubmed

La dérégulation du fer a été impliquée dans de multiples maladies neurodégénératives, y compris la maladie de Parkinson et la sclérose latérale amyotrophique (SLA). Les cellules constituant la microglie se trouvent fréquemment chargées de fer dans les régions cérébrales touchées, mais la façon dont l'accumulation de fer influence la physiologie de la microglie et contribue à la neurodégénérescence est mal comprise.

Dans une nouvelle publication, les auteurs montrent qu'une tri-culture de cellules de microglie dérivée de cellules souches pluripotentes humaines est très sensible au fer et sensible à la ferroptose, une forme de mort cellulaire dépendante du fer. La microglie est une population de cellules gliales — des macrophages que l'on retrouve dans le système nerveux central et qui en forme la principale défense immunitaire active grâce à ses capacités phagocytaires. Les cellules gliales sont les cellules qui forment l'environnement des neurones. Elles jouent un rôle de soutien et de protection du tissu nerveux en apportant les nutriments et l'oxygène, en éliminant les cellules mortes et en combattant les pathogènes.

Les cultures in vitro d'astrocytes et de microglies sont des outils puissants pour étudier les voies moléculaires spécifiques impliquées dans la neuroinflammation. Cependant, afin de mieux comprendre l'influence de la diaphonie cellulaire sur la neuroinflammation, de nouveaux modèles de culture multicellulaires sont nécessaires. En effet, les interactions entre les neurones, les astrocytes et la microglie influencent de manière critique les réponses neuro-inflammatoires à l'insulte dans le système nerveux central. La « tri-culture » composée à la fois de neurones, d'astrocytes et de microglie imite plus fidèlement les réponses neuro-inflammatoires in vivo que les mono-cultures standard.

Parmi les trois types de cellules, la microglie a eu la réponse transcriptionnelle la plus forte à la dérégulation du fer, et les scientifiques ont identifié un sous-ensemble de microglie avec une signature transcriptomique distincte associée à la ferroptose qui est enrichie dans la moelle épinière SLA post-mortem et la microglie du mésencéphale du patient PD post-mortem.

L'élimination de la microglie du système de tri-culture a considérablement retardé la neurotoxicité induite par le fer.

Dans la maladie, l'absorption microgliale de fer peut initialement être protectrice, mais, lorsque les cellules succombent à la ferroptose, elles entrent dans un état cellulaire neurotoxique qui entraîne des lésions et elles meurent en masse.

Pour élucider les mécanismes régulant la réponse du fer dans la microglie, les scientifiques ont effectué un criblage CRISPR à l'échelle du génome et identifié de nouveaux régulateurs de la ferroptose, y compris le gène de trafic de vésicule SEC24B. enter image description here Enfin, les auteurs ont effectué un criblage de petites molécules pour identifier les inhibiteurs de la ferroptose de la microglie. Sur les 546 composés, ils ont trouvé 39 composés qui inhibaient la ferroptose dans la microglie. Parmi ceux-ci Rhapontigenin, Xanthotoxol, Tenovin-1, Curcumin, ATP ou encore sésamol. La rhapontigénine est un stilbénoïde. Il peut être isolé de la vigne du Japon (Vitis coignetiae) ou du Gnetum cleistostachyum. Il montre une action sur les cellules cancéreuses de la prostate. Il a été démontré qu'il inhibe le cytochrome humain P450 1A1, une enzyme impliquée dans la biotransformation d'un certain nombre de composés cancérigènes et immunotoxiques. Le xanthotoxol est une furanocoumarine. C'est l'un des principes actifs majeurs de Cnidium monnieri. Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss. est l'une des plantes médicinales traditionnelles les plus largement utilisées et ses fruits ont été utilisés pour traiter diverses maladies en Chine, au Vietnam et au Japon. Le sésamol est un composé organique naturel qui entre dans la composition des graines de sésame et de l'huile de sésame, aux propriétés anti-inflammatoires, antioxydantes, antidépressives et neuroprotectrices.

Malgré le fait que la ferroptose a été impliquée dans de nombreux troubles, on ne connait aucun traitement efficace pour atténuer la ferroptose. Les chélateurs du fer sont une approche potentielle, mais beaucoup od'entre eux peuvent perturber les fonctions redox homéostatiques. Cependant, les études précliniques existantes utilisant des inhibiteurs de la peroxydation lipidique, tels que lip-1, et les données présentées dans cette étude fournissent une justification solide pour le développement de thérapies ciblant la ferroptose. Plusieurs composés ciblant la peroxydation lipidique et le stress oxydatif sont d'ailleurs en cours d'essais cliniques, notamment le dérivé de la vitamine E vatiquinone, l'acide linoléique deutéré et les activateurs de la voie antioxydante NRF2.

How iron can drive neurodegeneration.

- Posted by admin in English

Iron dysregulation has been implicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Cells making up microglia are frequently found loaded with iron in affected brain regions, but how iron accumulation influences microglia physiology and contributes to neurodegeneration is poorly understood.

In a new publication, authors show that a tri-culture of microglia cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells is highly iron-sensitive and susceptible to ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death.

Microglia is a population of glial cells, macrophages that are found in the central nervous system and which form the main active immune defense thanks to their phagocytic abilities. Glial cells are the cells that form the environment of neurons. They play a role in supporting and protecting nervous tissue by providing nutrients and oxygen, eliminating dead cells and fighting pathogens.

In vitro cultures of astrocytes and microglia are powerful tools to study the specific molecular pathways involved in neuroinflammation. However, in order to better understand the influence of cell crosstalk on neuroinflammation, new multicellular culture models are needed. Indeed, interactions between neurons, astrocytes and microglia critically influence neuroinflammatory responses to insult in the central nervous system. The "tri-culture" composed of both neurons, astrocytes and microglia more closely mimics neuro-inflammatory responses in vivo than standard mono-cultures.

Of the three cell types, microglia had the strongest transcriptional response to iron dysregulation, and scientists identified a subset of microglia with a distinct transcriptomic signature associated with ferroptosis that is enriched in the spinal cord Postmortem ALS and midbrain microglia from postmortem PD patient.

Removal of microglia from the tri-culture system significantly delayed iron-induced neurotoxicity.

In the disease, microglial iron uptake may initially be protective, but when cells succumb to ferroptosis, they enter a neurotoxic cellular state that leads to damage and they die en masse.

To elucidate the mechanisms regulating the iron response in microglia, scientists performed a genome-wide CRISPR screen and identified novel regulators of ferroptosis, including the vesicle trafficking gene SEC24B. enter image description here Finally, the authors performed a small molecule screen to identify inhibitors of microglia ferroptosis. Of the 546 compounds, they found 39 compounds that inhibited ferroptosis in microglia. Among these Rhapontigenin, Xanthotoxol, Tenovin-1, Curcumin, ATP or sesamol.

Rhapontigenin is a stilbenoid. It can be isolated from Japanese grapevine (Vitis coignetiae) or Gnetum cleistostachyum. It shows an action on prostate cancer cells. It has been shown to inhibit human cytochrome P450 1A1, an enzyme involved in the biotransformation of a number of carcinogenic and immunotoxic compounds. Xanthotoxol is a furanocoumarin. It is one of the major active principles of Cnidium monnieri. Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss. is one of the most widely used traditional herbal medicines and its fruits have been used to treat various diseases in China, Vietnam and Japan. Sesamol is a natural organic compound that is part of the composition of sesame seeds and sesame oil, with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidepressant and neuroprotective properties.

Despite the fact that ferroptosis has been implicated in many disorders, no effective treatment is known to alleviate ferroptosis. Iron chelators are a potential approach, but many of them can disrupt homeostatic redox functions. However, the existing preclinical studies using lipid peroxidation inhibitors, such as lip-1, and the data presented in this study provide strong rationale for the development of therapies targeting ferroptosis. Several compounds targeting lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress are also in clinical trials, including the vitamin E derivative vatiquinone, deuterated linoleic acid and activators of the antioxidant pathway NRF2.

Read the original article on Pubmed

Chez les patients atteints de la maladie de Parkinson, on pense depuis les travaux de Heiko Braak, que la pathologie de l'α-synucléine se propage au cerveau via le nerf vague. Le lien entre le microbiote intestinal et la maladie de Parkinson a été exploré dans diverses études. Un indice est que les patients sont souvent constipés. entrez la description de l'image ici

Récemment, l'appendicectomie a été associée à un risque plus faible de maladie de Parkinson, probablement en raison du rôle de l'appendice dans la modification du microbiome intestinal. Cependant, le microbiote fécal chez les patients sans antécédent d'appendicectomie peut présenter des variations interindividuelles considérables qui rendent difficile toute conclusion.

Les auteurs d'un nouvel article publié dans Nature/Scientific reports, ont cherché à élucider si le microbiote intestinal affectait le développement de la maladie de Parkinson dans une cohorte d'appendicectomie.

Ces scientifiques japonais ont analysé la composition microbienne fécale d'une vingtaine de patients atteints de la maladie de Parkinson et de témoins sains avec et sans antécédent d'appendicectomie. 10 sujets avaient la maladie de Parkinson, tandis que 10 autres constituaient le groupe contrôle. Chacun de ces deux groupes a été subdivisé en deux groupes de 5 sujets, l'un pour les sujets n'ayant pas subi d'appendicectomie, l'autre groupe constitué de ceux ayant subi cette opération.

L'abondance de microbes de la famille des entérobactéries était plus élevée dans les échantillons de matières fécales de patients atteints de la maladie de Parkinson que dans les échantillons prélevés sur des témoins sains. Il convient de noter que les entérobactéries, telles que Escherichia coli et Salmonella, produisent des amyloïdes bactériens appelés curli. Par conséquent, les entérobactéries peuvent induire une pathologie de Parkinson.

Les microbes des groupes Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Enterobacteriales et Enterobacteriaceae étaient plus enrichis chez les patients parkinsoniens que chez les témoins sains. Les scientifiques ont découvert que le genre Serratia, de l'ordre des entérobactéries, avait une abondance plus élevée dans les échantillons fécaux de patients atteints de maladie de Parkinson que dans les témoins sains.

On pensait que Serratia était une bactérie environnementale inoffensive jusqu'à ce que l'espèce la plus commune du genre, S. marcescens, soit découverte comme étant un pathogène opportuniste. Chez l'homme, S. marcescens est principalement associé à des infections nosocomiales ou nosocomiales, mais il peut également provoquer des infections des voies urinaires, une pneumonie et une endocardite. S. marcescens se trouve fréquemment dans les douches, les cuvettes de toilettes et autour des carreaux humides sous forme de biofilm rosâtre à rouge.

Certaines études ont démontré que le microbiote intestinal des patients atteints de maladie de Parkinson a une faible abondance de Prevotella, tandis que d'autres études ont montré des résultats contradictoires. Il est possible que l'abondance des Prevotellaceae dans le microbiote intestinal soit corrélée à la sévérité de la constipation, et non à la maladie de Parkinson.

Les individus du groupe en bonne santé avaient les indices de masse corporelle les plus élevés. Une réduction du ratio Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes chez les patients atteints de maladie de Parkinson a été observée entre les groupes maladie de Parkinson et contrôle dans une étude précédente.

De plus, il y avait une différence phylogénétique significative entre les patients atteints de la maladie de Parkinson et les témoins sains ayant subi une appendicectomie. Il y avait une différence phylogénétique significative entre les patients atteints de la maladie de Parkinson et les témoins sains qui avaient subi une appendicectomie. Ces résultats suggèrent la corrélation entre le microbiote intestinal et la maladie de Parkinson chez les patients ayant subi une appendicectomie.

Read the original article on Pubmed

In patients with Parkinson's disease, it is believed since the work of Heiko Braak, that α-synuclein pathology spreads to the brain via the vagus nerve. The link between gut microbiota and Parkinson's disease has been explored in various studies. One clue is that patients are often constipated. enter image description here

Recently, appendectomy has been associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, possibly due to the appendix's role in altering the gut microbiome. However, the faecal microbiota in patients without a history of appendectomy may show considerable interindividual variation which makes any conclusion difficult.

The authors of a new paper published in Nature/Scientific reports, sought to elucidate whether gut microbiota affects the development of Parkinson's disease in an appendectomy cohort.

The Japanese scientists analyzed the fecal microbial composition in about twenty patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls with and without a history of appendectomy. 10 subjects had Parkinson's disease, while 10 others constituted the control group. Each of these two groups was subdivided into two groups of 5 subjects, one for subjects who had not undergone appendectomy, the other group consisting of those who had undergone this operation.

The abundance of microbes from the Enterobacteriaceae family was higher in fecal matter samples from patients with Parkinson's disease than in samples taken from healthy controls. It should be noted that Enterobacteriaceae, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella, produce bacterial amyloids called curli. Therefore, Enterobacteriaceae can induce PD α-synuclein pathology.

Microbes from the Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Enterobacteriales, and Enterobacteriaceae groups were more enriched in PD patients than in healthy controls. The scientists found that the genus Serratia, of the order Enterobacteriales, had a higher abundance in fecal samples from patients with PD than from healthy controls.

Serratia was thought to be a harmless environmental bacterium until the most common species of the genus, S. marcescens, was discovered to be an opportunistic pathogen. In humans, S. marcescens is primarily associated with nosocomial or nosocomial infections, but can also cause urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and endocarditis. S. marcescens is frequently found in showers, toilet bowls, and around wet tiles as a pinkish to red biofilm.

Some studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiota of patients with PD has a low abundance of Prevotella, while other studies have shown conflicting results. It is possible that the abundance of Prevotellaceae in the gut microbiota may be correlated with the severity of constipation, and not with PD.

Individuals in the healthy group had the highest body mass indices. A reduction in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in patients with PD was observed between the PD and control groups in a previous study.

Moreover, there was a significant phylogenetic difference between patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls who had undergone appendectomy. There was a significant phylogenetic difference between patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls who had undergone appendectomy. These results suggest the correlation between gut microbiota and Parkinson's disease in patients who have undergone appendectomy.

Read the original article on Pubmed

La consommation d'un régime riche en graisses provoque diverses maladies métaboliques, notamment le syndrome métabolique et le diabète de type 2 en développant une résistance à l'insuline et même en diminuant la production d'insuline.

Par exemple un bon moyen d'induire un syndrome de Parkinson chez les rats est de leur donner un régime alimentaire très riche en graisse. On a parfois qualifié la maladie d'Alzheimer comme étant diabète de type 3.

Un mystère est celui de la SLA (maladie de Charcot) où on a souvent une résistance à l'insuline, mais très rarement un diabète en comorbidité. Il semble aussi que l'existence protéines mal repliées dans le cytoplasme des malades soit liée à un stress du réticulum endoplasmique, un organe des cellules dont la fonction est justement de replier les protéines nouvellement produites par les ribosomes, avant leur expédition vers leur destination dans l'appareil de Golgi.

Une exposition à long terme aux acides gras saturés (acides gras saturés) dans les cellules β pancréatiques provoque une désensibilisation et une altération de la sécrétion d'insuline.

Par exemple, la consommation pendant trois mois de régime alimentaire très riche en graisse contenant de la graisse de porc et de l'huile de tournesol (80 % de graisse) réduit chez la souris la teneur en insuline des îlots pancréatiques (50 %), l'ARNm de la proinsuline (35 %), la biosynthèse et la sécrétion de l'insuline en réponse au glucose (50 %) , et l'oxydation du glucose.

Selon des recherches antérieures, WFS1 (syndrome de Wolfram 1) est impliqué dans la synthèse et la libération d'insuline, ainsi que dans la préservation de la masse des cellules β pancréatiques. Ce gène Wfs1 a été identifié pour la première fois par Wolfram et Wagener (1983) chez des patients atteints du syndrome de Wolfram (c.-à-dire un diabète sucré et une atrophie du nerf optique).

Le gène WFS1 exprime une glycoprotéine dans le réticulum endoplasmique (réticulum endoplasmique) des cellules β pancréatiques, du cœur, du placenta, des poumons et du cerveau.

Les acides gras saturés comme le palmitate induisent un stress réticulum endoplasmique. Des études ont montré qu'il existe une relation mutuelle entre le stress oxydatif et le stress réticulum endoplasmique. On l'acide trouve dans l'huile de palme, mais aussi dans toutes les graisses et huiles animales (beurre, fromage, lait et viande) ou végétales.

Pendant le stress du réticulum endoplasmique, l'expression de WFS1 augmente pour inhiber la signalisation de ce stress et ainsi empêcher l'apoptose (l'un des processus aboutissant à la mort de la cellule).

Etant donné le rôle de la protéine WFS1 dans le maintien de l'homéostasie du réticulum endoplasmique, on s'attend à ce que l'expression de cette protéine soit augmentée dans le réticulum endoplasmique des cellules β, et sa translocation vers le cytoplasme est réduite et conduit à une diminution du GSIS des îlots pancréatiques et teneur en insuline.

Bien que de nombreuses études aient étudié les effets de chaque régime alimentaire très riche en graisse et l'implication de WFS1 dans la synthèse et la sécrétion d'insuline, aucune étude n'a examiné l'interaction de régime alimentaire très riche en graisse et WFS1 en relation avec la synthèse et la sécrétion d'insuline et donc l'homéostasie du glucose.

Après le sevrage, les rats ont été divisés en six groupes et nourris avec un régime alimentaire normal et régime alimentaire très riche en graisse (30%) pendant 20 semaines, puis de l'acide 4-phényl butyrique (4-PBA, un inhibiteur du stress réticulum endoplasmique) a été administré. On notera qu'il s'agit d'une des deux composantes de l'AMX0035.

Après avoir effectué un test de tolérance au glucose, les animaux ont été disséqués et leurs pancréas ont été prélevés pour extraire l'réticulum endoplasmique, l'isolement des îlots et l'évaluation du GSIS. De plus, les biomarqueurs du stress du réticulum endoplasmique pancréatique.

Ce régime alimentaire très riche en graisse a diminué les niveaux de protéine pancréatique WFS1 et de GSH, et augmenté l'activité de la catalase pancréatique. En conséquence, il a augmenté les niveaux de protéines BIP, CHOP et WFS1 dans le RE extrait du pancréas. De plus, le régime alimentaire très riche en graisse a provoqué une intolérance au glucose et a diminué la teneur en GSIS et en insuline des îlots.

Cependant, l'administration de 4-PBA a restauré les niveaux antérieurs. Il semble donc bien que la consommation de régime alimentaire très riche en graisse en induisant un stress réticulum endoplasmique pancréatique ait altéré les niveaux d'expression de WFS1, réduit la teneur en GSIS et en insuline des îlots et finalement altéré l'homéostasie du glucose.

L'administration de 4-PBA ne me semble pas être une solution au problème du stress du réticulum endoplasmique, par contre c'est certainement un moyen de pallier à une conséquence dramatique de ce stress: La mort cellulaire, ce qui dans le cas de la SLA intervient très certainement sur les cellules qui consomment le plus d'énergie comme les muscles squelettiques et les neurones moteurs.

Lire l'article original sur Pubmed

Consuming a high fat diet causes various metabolic diseases including metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes by developing insulin resistance and even decreasing insulin production.

For example a good way to induce Parkinson's syndrome in rats is to feed them a very high fat diet. Alzheimer's disease has sometimes been referred to as type 3 diabetes.

A mystery is that of ALS (Charcot's disease) where we often have insulin resistance, but very rarely comorbid diabetes. It also seems that the existence of misfolded proteins in the cytoplasm of patients is linked to stress in the endoplasmic reticulum, a cell organ whose function is precisely to fold the proteins newly produced by the ribosomes, before they are sent to their destination in the Golgi apparatus.

Long-term exposure to saturated fatty acids (SAFAs) in pancreatic β cells causes desensitization and impaired insulin secretion.

For example, consumption for three months of a very high fat diet containing pork fat and sunflower oil (80% fat) reduced the insulin content of pancreatic islets in mice (50%), proinsulin mRNA (35%), insulin biosynthesis and secretion in response to glucose (50%), and glucose oxidation.

According to previous research, WFS1 (Wolfram syndrome 1) is involved in insulin synthesis and release, as well as mass preservation of pancreatic β cells. This Wfs1 gene was first identified by Wolfram and Wagener (1983) in patients with Wolfram syndrome (i.e. diabetes mellitus and optic nerve atrophy).

The WFS1 gene expresses a glycoprotein in the endoplasmic reticulum (endoplasmic reticulum) of pancreatic β cells, heart, placenta, lungs and brain.

Saturated fatty acids like palmitate induce endoplasmic reticulum stress. Studies have shown that there is a mutual relationship between oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress. It is found in palm oil, but also in all animal (butter, cheese, milk and meat) or vegetable fats and oils.

During endoplasmic reticulum stress, WFS1 expression increases to inhibit stress signaling and thus prevent apoptosis (one of the processes leading to cell death).

Given the role of the WFS1 protein in maintaining endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis, it is expected that the expression of this protein is increased in the endoplasmic reticulum of β-cells, and its translocation to the cytoplasm is reduced. and leads to a decrease in pancreatic islet GSIS and insulin content.

Although many studies have investigated the effects of each very high fat diet and the involvement of WFS1 in insulin synthesis and secretion, no study has examined the interaction of very high fat diet and WFS1 in relation to insulin synthesis and secretion and therefore glucose homeostasis.

After weaning, the rats were divided into six groups and fed a normal diet and a very high fat (30%) diet for 20 weeks, followed by 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA, an inhibitor endoplasmic reticulum stress) was administered. Note that this is one of the two components of the AMX0035.

After performing a glucose tolerance test, the animals were dissected and their pancreases removed for endoplasmic reticulum extraction, islet isolation, and GSIS evaluation. Additionally, pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum stress biomarkers.

This very high-fat diet decreased pancreatic protein WFS1 and GSH levels, and increased pancreatic catalase activity. As a result, it increased the levels of BIP, CHOP and WFS1 proteins in the ER extracted from the pancreas. In addition, the very high-fat diet caused glucose intolerance and decreased GSIS and insulin content of islets.

However, administration of 4-PBA restored previous levels. It therefore appears that consumption of very high fat diet by inducing pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum stress altered WFS1 expression levels, reduced GSIS and islet insulin content and ultimately impaired glucose homeostasis.

The administration of 4-PBA does not seem to me to be a solution to the problem of the stress of the endoplasmic reticulum, on the other hand it is certainly a means of mitigating a dramatic consequence of this stress: Cell death, which

Yet, administration of 4-PBA does not seem to me to be a solution to the problem of the stress of the endoplasmic reticulum, on the other hand it is certainly a means of mitigating a dramatic consequence of this stress: Cell death, which in the case of ALS most certainly affects the cells that consume the most energy, such as skeletal muscles and motor neurons.

Read the original article on Pubmed

There is growing evidence that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease and share similar dysregulated pathways. There is growing evidence that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and share similar dysregulated pathways, which suggests the presence of common underlying pathological mechanisms.

Type 2 diabetes develops from insulin resistance, leading to a variety of detrimental effects on metabolism and inflammation. Similar dysregulation of glucose and energy metabolism are early events in the pathogenesis of sporadic Parkinson's disease and to some degree in Alzheimer's disease as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig disease). Trials of intranasal insulin administered to patients with mild cognitive dysfunction and early Alzheimer's disease led to improvements in verbal memory and cognition.

For example it is possible to induce a Parkinson disease like in rats, by feeding them with a high fat diet. enter image description here Scientists in a new publication, aimed to determine whether the risk of Parkinson disease increases as diabetes progresses among patients with type 2 Diabetes mellitus.

Using a nationally representative database from the Korean National Health Insurance System, 2,362,072 individuals with type 2 Diabetes mellitus who underwent regular health checkups during 2009-2012 were followed up until the end of 2018.

There is still no universal agreement on the optimal data needed to create a reliable diabetes severity measure, despite the presence of some diabetes-specific severity indices.

The diabetes severity score parameters included the number of oral hypoglycemic agents, diabetes duration, insulin use, or presence of chronic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, or cardiovascular disease.

Each of these characteristics was scored as one unit of diabetes severity and their sum was defined as a diabetes severity score from 0-6.

The scientists identified 17,046 incident Parkinson disease cases during the follow-up. Each component of the diabetes severity score showed a similar intensity for the risk of Parkinson disease.

Diabetes severity, as measured by diabetic complication status, treatment complexity, and duration of diabetes, was strongly associated with an increased risk for Parkinson’s disease. All characteristics indicative of diabetes severity had an additive association with the risk of Parkinson’s disease in patients with type 2 DM. The coexistence of conditions such as retinopathy, nephropathy, CVD, the complexity of diabetes treatments, or the long duration of diabetes was more strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease risk than the presence of a single condition alone. People with a diabetes severity score of 4 or higher had a more than doubled risk of Parkinson’s disease compared with those with a score of 0, and those with a score of 6 had a 2.78-fold increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. These associations became stronger for younger diabetic patients.

Compared with subjects with no parameters, HR values of Parkinson disease were 1.09 in subjects with one diabetes severity score parameter, 1.28 in subjects with two parameters, 1.55 in subjects with three parameters, 1.96 in subjects with four parameters, 2.08 in subjects with five parameters, and 2.78 in subjects with six parameters.

Diabetes severity was associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson disease. Severe diabetes may be a risk factor for the development of Parkinson disease. Yet this was an observational study, so the association found between the stratification parameters and endpoints may not be causal.

Read the original article on Pubmed

Parkinson's disease is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, with an estimated 5,000,000 cases worldwide. Parkinson disease pathology is characterized by the accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein, which is thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Animal models of Parkinson disease suggest that activation of Abelson tyrosine kinase plays an essential role in the initiation and progression of α-synuclein pathology and initiates processes leading to degeneration of dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons.

Four drugs, nilotinib, dasatinib, bosutinib and ponatinib are src tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Given the potential role of c-Abl in Parkinson disease, a c-Abl inhibitor library was developed to identify orally bioavailable c-Abl inhibitors capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier based on predefined characteristics, leading to the discovery of IkT-148009.

IkT-148009, a brain-penetrant c-Abl inhibitor with a favorable toxicology profile, was analyzed for therapeutic potential in animal models of slowly progressive, α-synuclein-dependent Parkinson disease.

In mouse models of both inherited and sporadic Parkinson disease, IkT-148009 suppressed c-Abl activation to baseline and substantially protected dopaminergic neurons from degeneration when administered therapeutically by once daily oral gavage beginning 4 weeks after disease initiation.

Recovery of motor function in Parkinson disease mice occurred within 8 weeks of initiating treatment concomitantly with a reduction in α-synuclein pathology in the mouse brain. These findings suggest that IkT-148009 may have potential as a disease-modifying therapy in Parkinson disease.

Read the original article on Pubmed

We know that in ALS it is important to maintain the BMI at 27, which is incredibly difficult practically for patients but also psychologically for caregivers who do not understand that becoming mildly obese can be beneficial. This is especially true if the patient previously had a very healthy weight profile.

Several publications hint at similar benefits of weight gain in Parkinson's disease. Early weight loss is a typical symptom in Parkinson's disease patients and this may be accompanied by cognitive decline.

This observational study used data from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative cohort. The patients underwent annual non-motor assessments covering neuropsychiatric, sleep-related, and autonomic symptoms for up to 8 years of follow-up. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and detailed neuropsychological testing. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to investigate the association of early weight change with longitudinal evolution of cognitive and other non-motor symptoms.

358 individuals with Parkinson's disease who had just received a diagnosis but had not yet begun taking medication for the condition were the subject of the study. They were 61 years old on average. 174 individuals free of Parkinson's disease were compared to them. While observational studies generally produce results similar to those conducted as randomized controlled trials, an observational study draws inferences from a sample to a population where the independent variable is not under the control of the researcher so it is possible there are some hidden bias in such studies.

A change in body weight of more than 3% during the study's first year was deemed to be either weight gain or loss. 98 individuals lost weight, 59 individuals gained weight, and 201 individuals maintained their weight.

Prior to the study's start and then once a year for up to eight years, participants took a test of their thinking abilities. They also looked for other non-motor symptoms, like anxiety, depression, and difficulty falling asleep, that Parkinson's patients might experience.

When compared to Parkinson's patients who maintained their weight, those who lost weight saw a decline in their scores annually. Fluency skills, showed the greatest decline in thinking abilities.

Conversely, Parkinson's patients who gained weight saw a slower decline in their processing speed test scores than those who kept their weight.

Weight change did not correlate with any other nonmotor symptoms.

There was no connection between weight change and results on the thinking skills test among individuals without Parkinson's disease.

According to Jun, "These results highlight the potential significance of weight management in the early stages of Parkinson's disease." If taking measures to prevent weight loss can slow cognitive deterioration in people with Parkinson's disease, more research is required to confirm this. ".

This observational study only demonstrates an association; it does not establish a causal relationship between weight changes and changes in thinking abilities. Yet diet change in order to gain weigth in a healthy manner is something that patients and carers can easily do at home.

Association of Early Weight Change With Cognitive Decline in Patients With Parkinson Disease

Body Mass Index, Abdominal Adiposity, and Incidence of Parkinson Disease in French Women From the E3N Cohort Study

Initial BMI and Weight Loss over Time Predict Mortality in Parkinson Disease


Please, help us continue to provide valuable information: