Researchers Discover How Compounds Found In Red Wine Thwart Alzheimer's Disease In Mice
Researcher David Teplow and others from UCLA, as well as at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, have recently discovered it is possible that red wine can reduce the incidence of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This discovery is associated with what “scientists call the ‘French paradox.’” This is in reference to the French who to eat lots of food with high cholesterol levels and saturated fat, but continue to maintain low death rates due to heart disease. The explanation for this is that in conjunction with these meals is red wine which is good for cardiovascular health; and now, as aforementioned, can help with AD.
The helpful components of red wine are polyphenols, and they block the formation of certain proteins which build toxic plaques in the brain, destroying its cells. Polyphenols also reduce the toxicity of existing plaques. It is also known, from past research, that two proteins, Aß40 and Aß42, deposit in the brain and form the plaques associated with Alzheimer's. Though until the research done by Teplow and colleagues, the way polyphenols worked was not fully understood.
In Teplow's lab, they studied how Aß is involved in causing AD and they watched how “Aß40 and Aß42 proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice.” After treating them the proteins with polyphenol from grape seeds, they found that the compound blocked the aggregates of Aß and also decreased toxicity. Their idea is that if this compound is given to AD patients, it could block the development of the aggregates and possibly prevent development of the disease itself. No trials have tested humans as of now, but they consider it a very important next step.
This article was of interest to me because I will be working in a lab next semester which also researches the relationship between amyloid beta and Alzheimer’s disease; and I like to find out as much information on the subject as I can.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/130450.php
The helpful components of red wine are polyphenols, and they block the formation of certain proteins which build toxic plaques in the brain, destroying its cells. Polyphenols also reduce the toxicity of existing plaques. It is also known, from past research, that two proteins, Aß40 and Aß42, deposit in the brain and form the plaques associated with Alzheimer's. Though until the research done by Teplow and colleagues, the way polyphenols worked was not fully understood.
In Teplow's lab, they studied how Aß is involved in causing AD and they watched how “Aß40 and Aß42 proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice.” After treating them the proteins with polyphenol from grape seeds, they found that the compound blocked the aggregates of Aß and also decreased toxicity. Their idea is that if this compound is given to AD patients, it could block the development of the aggregates and possibly prevent development of the disease itself. No trials have tested humans as of now, but they consider it a very important next step.
This article was of interest to me because I will be working in a lab next semester which also researches the relationship between amyloid beta and Alzheimer’s disease; and I like to find out as much information on the subject as I can.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/130450.php
posted by janellenf at 9:43 PM
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