Alzheimer’s therapy with the love hormone Oxytocin? Naturopathy Naturopathy Specialist Portal
Cognitive disorders in Alzheimer’s disease with Oxytocin treat
More and more people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s and up to today, the treatment opportunities are limited very. A new approach against neurodegenerative disease have now followed Researchers from the Tokyo University of Science examined the effect of the love hormone Oxytocin.
In the case of Alzheimer’s disease to degenerate the nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and the Connections between them to degenerate, which leads to severe memory loss, cognitive deficits, a deterioration of motor skills and communication, explained the research team. In the current study on mice have shown, however, that Oxytocin has the ability to signal transmission to restore it. Were published the results of the study in the journal “Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication”.
Decline in synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer’s disease
As a major cause for the impaired signal transmission in Alzheimer’s disease are deposits of the Protein Amyloid-β in the brain apply. Due to the increasing accumulation of Amyloid-β in the Hippocampus – the most important learning and memory center of the brain – is caused a decrease of the signal transmission potential of the neurons, explain the researchers. In particular, the so-called “synaptic plasticity”, which describes the ability of synapses to increase or decrease the signal on the activity, go back clear.
Oxytocin is important for learning and memory
The research team led by Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh of the Tokyo University of Science has now investigated the effect of the love hormone Oxytocin on the signal transmission potential in Alzheimer’s disease. Because “recently, it has been found that Oxytocin is involved in the regulation of learning and memory” and previously had “involved no study of the effect of Oxytocin on Amyloid-β-induced cognitive impairments,” says Professor Saitoh.
Synaptic plasticity is restored
First, the research team reviewed studies in the brains of mice, the extent of Amyloid-β, the signaling capability of neurons, or the synaptic plasticity is impaired. Here is a significant reduction in the increased Amyloid was confirmed-β deposits. “With the additional Perfusion (flow) of the brain with Oxytocin, the signal ability, however, increased, suggesting that Oxytocin can make the Amyloid-β-induced impairment of synaptic plasticity undo,” say the researchers.
In a next step, the scientists blocked the Oxytocin receptors in the mouse brains to see whether the love hormone unfolds without binding to the Receptor, its positive effect. “As expected, Oxytocin, as the receptors were blocked, the effect of Amyloid-β, but not undo, which shows that these receptors are important for the action of Oxytocin is essential,” says the research team.
Harmful effects of Amyloid-β fixed
In addition, the scientists were able to demonstrate to researchers that “Oxytocin itself has no influence on the synaptic plasticity in the Hippocampus, but somehow is able to reverse the harmful effects of Amyloid-β.” For the first time had succeeded in the current study, the evidence that Oxytocin can make the Amyloid-β-induced impairments in Hippocampus undo – at least in mice, says Professor Saitoh.
Hope for new therapeutic options
The current study shows that Oxytocin could be a new therapeutic Option for the treatment of memory loss associated with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, says Professor Saitoh. But this was “only a first step, and it still needs to be further research in vivo in animal models and then on human beings carried out before sufficient knowledge can be gathered to Oxytocin in a drug for Alzheimer’s to use.” However, the researchers proceed from the ends thereof, that a promising new way for the development of drugs for Alzheimer’s was opened in treatment. (fp)