Olive Oil Component Could Avert Alzheimer’s
Lee Swanson Research Update
A compound in extra virgin olive oil could deter proteins from disrupting nerve cell function that causes the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
In findings published in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, US scientists explain how this naturally occurring compound, oleocanthal, beneficially alters the structure of highly toxic proteins known as ADDLs.
The researchers explained that ADDLs 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.
"Binding of ADDLs to nerve cell synapses is thought to be a crucial first step in the initiation of Alzheimer’s disease," said lead researcher William L. Klein. "Oleocanthal alters ADDL structure in a way that deters the protein from binding to synapses."
Reporting on a series of in vitro studies, the team of researchers found that incubation with oleocanthal changed the structure of ADDLs by increasing the proteins’ size. Knowing that oleocanthal changed ADDL size, the researchers said they next evaluated 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, the team said that they discovered that small amounts of oleocanthal effectively reduced short-term binding of ADDLs to hippocampal synapses, and additional studies revealed that oleocanthal can protect synapses from damage caused by ADDLs.
They reported that an unexpected finding of the research was that oleocanthal turns 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, they added.
"In addition to aiding therapeutics, enhancing ADDL immunoreactivity also could increase the sensitivity of antibody-based Alzheimer’s diagnostics," the scientists said.
According to the researchers, translational studies now are needed to link these laboratory findings to clinical interventions.
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 240(2): 2009