Oleocanthal may help prevent, treat Alzheimer's

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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.

Can You Prevent Dementia?

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by Adrienne Carlson

Can You Prevent Dementia?
It’s a sad but true fact of life – even the most brilliant of minds atrophy into nothing when old age and its related ills take over. Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other mental illnesses are the plague of the elderly, and it’s all we can do to stave them off as long as possible. Why are people affected by these diseases, people who are intelligent and have until then led normal and fulfilling lives? It’s mostly in our genes, so even doctors are not sure if we can prevent dementia altogether, but you can keep it at bay for a good many years if you take good care of your mental health.
• Early diagnosis is the key: If you have a family history of mental illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s, it’s best to keep monitoring your mental health for signs of the disease. You don’t have to be paranoid, just careful enough so you don’t have to suffer the way your ancestors did. Doctors do prescribe medicines to keep you in good mental health, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• An active life helps: Even if you grow old, it’s wise to stay active – go to work every day, work out a little, eat healthy food, and generally prevent your life from slowing down. When you stop doing something, your body becomes accustomed to it and shuts down the parts that are used to do perform that activity. So if you stay in bed without getting up, your legs are bound to atrophy and become useless. Even if you’ve retired, keep yourself busy with volunteer work or activities around your home.
• Mental stimulation works: This is very important if you want to stay mentally healthy until you die – push your brain to take up new challenges. Besides doing crossword puzzles, Sudoku and other mentally challenging activities, try something new like learning a language or how to play a musical instrument. The more active your neurons remain, the less chance they have of becoming vegetative.
• Social networks are important: No, I’m not talking about the ones that exist on the Internet but about the friends and acquaintances who are a part of your life. Instead of staying holed up at home with the television, get out and socialize – make time to hang out with your friends, playing cards or having a drink together and talking about old times. Take a walk together early in the morning or when the sun is going down. In short, continue to meet people and lead an active social life to keep dementia away.
• Move with the times: You may be a baby boomer, but if you don’t keep up with technology, you’re going to feel like a misfit in today’s world. Get yourself a cell phone, an iPod or even a laptop. Use them to stay updated on the latest that’s happening in the world. Not only do you feel young at heart, you also feel young in mind.
By-line:
This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of pharmacy technician certification . Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson83@yahoo.com

At the Bridge Table, Clues to a Lucid Old Age

New York Times

By BENEDICT CAREY

LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. — The ladies in the card room are playing bridge, and at their age the game is no hobby. It is a way of life, a daily comfort and challenge, the last communal campfire before all goes dark.

“We play for blood,” says Ruth Cummins, 92, before taking a sip of Red Bull at a recent game.

“It’s what keeps us going,” adds Georgia Scott, 99. “It’s where our closest friends are.”

In recent years scientists have become intensely interested in what could be called a super memory club — the fewer than one in 200 of us who, like Ms. Scott and Ms. Cummins, have lived past 90 without a trace of dementia. It is a group that, for the first time, is large enough to provide a glimpse into the lucid brain at the furthest reach of human life, and to help researchers tease apart what, exactly, is essential in preserving mental sharpness to the end.

“These are the most successful agers on earth, and they’re only just beginning to teach us what’s important, in their genes, in their routines, in their lives,” said Dr. Claudia Kawas, a neurologist at the University of California, Irvine. “We think, for example,........read all about the super memory club

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

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Diet could cut risk of dementia

By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY
A new study suggests a diet laden with fish, olive oil, veggies and other foods common in Mediterranean-style cuisine may help ward off mild cognitive impairment, sometimes called borderline dementia. The study also suggests this diet reduces the chance of transitioning from mild cognitive decline to Alzheimer's disease.
"We know from previous research that a healthy diet like this is....read the whole article

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Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

nbc Los Angeles

More than 5.2 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S., and that number is expected to double by 2030. Tommy Lasorda is trying to help cut that number.

There is no cure... But there are ways to protect yourself, Dr. Bruce reported on the Anti-Alzheimer’s prescription.
Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a lot of things to keep track of.

“I make a lot of speeches, when you're 81 yrs old, it's tough for you to get up there and make speeches, recall it,” Lasorda said.

That's why he turns to Dr. Vincent Fortanasce, Clinical Professor of Neurology at USC, for tips on keeping his memory sharp....read the whole story

Prevent dementia-Beef up your brain 5 ways

By Andrea Thompson, Senior Writer
15 August 2008 10:28 am ET

With the prevalence of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, which slowly deteriorate the brain's capacity to make new memories, retrieve older ones and perform other mental and physical tasks, is on the rise as the baby boomer generation hits retirement age. A 2007 Alzheimer's Association report estimated that more than 5 million Americans were currently living with the disease and that that total could reach 16 million by 2050.

What can you do?

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