Olive oil and dementia(part 2)

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Where did the story come from?The research was carried out by Dr Jason Pitt and colleagues from the Northwestern University, the University of Pennsylvania, Western Illinois University and Rutgers University in the US and the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

While the authors provide grant numbers for those that support their research, it is unclear what funding organisations provided these.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.



What kind of scientific study was this?Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting around 420,000 people in the UK. It is a degenerative brain disorder. The exact causes aren’t well understood, but plagues and tangles made of proteins form around brain cells, eventually leading to their damage and death. This causes a range of symptoms that can include confusion, mood swings, poor memory and forgetfulness and more severe symptoms such as delusions or obsessive behaviour.

Research has demonstrated that certain fibres called Aß-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs) in the brain are the main chemicals responsible for the initiation of Alzheimer’s disease. In this laboratory study, researchers explored the neuroprotective properties of a chemical called oleocanthal, which is derived from olive oil.

The researchers prepared ADDLs in the laboratory and investigated the effects of various concentrations of oleocanthal on these molecules. They assessed the effect of this extract on the primary molecules (monomers) that make up the ADDLs and also on the formed ADDLs (which are chains of monomers).

They also explored the effects of oleocanthal on nerve cells from the hippocampus, an area in the brain that plays an important role in memory and learning. The hippocampus is one of the areas in the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Previous research has established that ADDLs of a certain size can bind at the synapses (junctions between neurones in the brain) The loss of synaptic function that results is a crucial first step in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.



What were the results of the study?The study found that in the presence of the chemical oleocanthal, the ADDLs became more immunoreactive (i.e. more likely to provoke an immune response) and less soluble (which may lead to a decrease in toxicity).

When the chemical was applied to the brain cells, ADDLs formed in the presence of oleocanthal were less likely to bind to the synapses and this was accompanied by reduced deterioration of these cells.



What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results?The researchers say their results suggest that oleocanthal is capable of altering the chemicals implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and can also protect against the effects of these compounds on synapses in the brain. They say that this suggests oleocanthal may be a key compound in the development of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.



What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study?Previous research has indicated that phenols (a group of chemical compounds) such as oleocanthal may have neuroprotective properties, and this laboratory study has uncovered some of the complex reactions that may explain these effects.

More research is needed to establish exactly how it protects nerve cells, (for example, whether it actually reduces binding at the synapses or whether the protective effect is due to the changes in the structure of ADDLs that it causes).

The researchers report that, overall, their findings are consistent with other studies that have investigated phenolic compounds such as oleocanthal and demonstrated protective effects. This extract from olive oil and other similar molecules may have a role to play in future development of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, but these will require further research and development. The drug development process is a long one, which starts with studies such as these in the laboratory and later move through animal testing to safety and efficacy studies in humans.

While the chemical being tested here - oleocanthal – is an extract from olive oil it has not been tested in humans with Alzheimer’s yet. Also, whether these particular effects will be derived from eating olive oil itself is not clear from these findings. Olive oil is likely to be part of a traditional Mediterranean diet, which is also high in vegetables, fruits and fish, and while there is some evidence that a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease it is not clear what specific role olive oil has to play in these benefits. Only further studies can answer these questions.

Olive oil and Alzheimer's disease(part 1)

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Dronmore Leader

Olive oil could hold key to defeating Alzheimer's," reported the Daily Express. The newspaper reported that a compound found in the oil has been shown to slow down changes in the brain that lead to Alzheimer's disease. According to the paper, researchers believe that the antioxidant that gives the oil its 'peppery bite' will become a key ingredient in new drugs.

This laboratory study investigated the effects of an olive oil extract (oleocanthal) on chemicals thought to be involved in Alzheimer’s disease. It found that nerve cells exposed to oleocanthal were better protected from the effects of these potential neurotoxins.

However, this study does not indicate that increasing olive oil consumption will protect from Alzheimer’s disease. The olive oil extract and other similar molecules may have a role to play in future development of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, but these will require considerable further research and development. It will be some time before the direct relevance of these findings to preventing Alzheimer’s are clear, but this is the first step in the process.

Where did the...... come back tomorrow for part 2 of Olive oil and dementia

Oleocanthal may help prevent, treat Alzheimer's

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

EurekAlert

Natural compound in extra-virgin olive oil targets toxic beta-amyloid proteins

PHILADELPHIA -- Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease. This structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells.

"The findings may help identify effective preventative measures and lead to improved therapeutics in the fight against Alzheimer's disease," said study co-leader Paul A.S. Breslin, PhD, a sensory psychobiologist at the Monell Center.

Known as ADDLs, these highly toxic proteins bind within the neural synapses of the brains of Alzheimer's patients and are believed to directly disrupt nerve cell function, eventually leading to memory loss, cell death, and global disruption of brain function. Synapses are specialized junctions that allow one nerve cell to send information another.

"Binding of ADDLs to nerve cell synapses is thought to be a crucial first step in the initiation of Alzheimer's disease. Oleocanthal alters ADDL structure in a way that deters their binding to synapses," said William L. Klein, PhD, who co-led the research with Breslin. "Translational studies are needed to link these laboratory findings to clinical interventions." Klein is Professor of Neurobiology & Physiology, and a member of the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, at Northwestern University.

Klein and his colleagues identified ADDLs in 1998, leading to a major shift in thinking about the causes, progression and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Also known as beta-amyloid oligomers, ADDLs are structurally different from the amyloid plaques that accumulate in brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Reporting on a series of in vitro studies, the team of Monell and Northwestern researchers found that incubation with oleocanthal changed the structure of ADDLs by increasing the protein's size.

Knowing that oleocanthal changed ADDL size, the researchers next examined whether oleocanthal affected the ability of ADDLs to bind to synapses of cultured hippocampal neurons. The hippocampus, a part of the brain intimately involved in learning and memory, is one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer's disease.

Measuring ADDL binding with and without oleocanthal, they discovered that small amounts of oleocanthal effectively reduced binding of ADDLs to hippocampal synapses. Additional studies revealed that oleocanthal can protect synapses from structural damage caused by ADDLs.

An unexpected finding was that oleocanthal makes ADDLs into stronger targets for antibodies. This action establishes an opportunity for creating more effective immunotherapy treatments, which use antibodies to bind to and attack ADDLs.

Breslin commented on the implications of the findings. "If antibody treatment of Alzheimer's is enhanced by oleocanthal, the collective anti-toxic and immunological effects of this compound may lead to a successful treatment for an incurable disease. Only clinical trials will tell for sure."

In earlier work at Monell, Breslin and co-workers used the sensory properties of extra virgin olive oil to identify oleocanthal based on a similar oral irritation quality to ibuprofen. Oleocanthal and ibuprofen also have similar anti-inflammatory properties, and ibuprofen – like extra virgin olive oils presumably rich in oleocanthal – is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's when used regularly.

Future studies to identify more precisely how oleocanthal changes ADDL structure may increase understanding of the pharmacological actions of oleocanthal, ibuprofen, and structurally related plant compounds. Such pharmacological insights could provide discovery pathways related to disease prevention and treatment.

The findings are reported in the October 15 issue of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.