Tough Crowd, Tough Crowd
Posted on 12/11/2017 1:33:07 PM PST by Red Badger
An international team of scientists have confirmed the discovery of a major cause of dementia, with important implications for possible treatment and diagnosis.
Professor Garth Cooper from The University of Manchester, who leads the Manchester team, says the build-up of urea in the brain to toxic levels can cause brain damage - and eventually dementia.
The work follows on from Professor Cooper's earlier studies, which identified metabolic linkages between Huntington's, other neurodegenerative diseases and type-2 diabetes.
The team consists of scientists from The University of Manchester, the University of Auckland, AgResearch New Zealand, the South Australian Research and Development Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University.
The latest paper by the scientists, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that Huntington's Disease - one of seven major types of age-related dementia - is directly linked to brain urea levels and metabolic processes.
Their 2016 study revealing that urea is similarly linked to Alzheimer's, shows, according to Professor Cooper, that the discovery could be relevant to all types of age-related dementias.
The Huntington's study also showed that the high urea levels occurred before dementia sets in, which could help doctors to one day diagnose and even treat dementia, well in advance of its onset.
Urea and ammonia in the brain are metabolic breakdown products of protein. Urea is more commonly known as a compound which is excreted from the body in urine. If urea and ammonia build up in the body because the kidneys are unable to eliminate them, for example, serious symptoms can result.
Professor Cooper, who is based at The University of Manchester's Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, said: "This study on Huntington's Disease is the final piece of the jigsaw which leads us to conclude that high brain urea plays a pivotal role in dementia.
"Alzheimer's and Huntington's are at opposite ends of the dementia spectrum - so if this holds true for these types, then I believe it is highly likely it will hold true for all the major age-related dementias.
"More research, however, is needed to discover the source of the elevated urea in HD, particularly concerning the potential involvement of ammonia and a systemic metabolic defect.
"This could have profound implications for our fundamental understanding of the molecular basis of dementia, and its treatability, including the potential use of therapies already in use for disorders with systemic urea phenotypes."
Dementia results in a progressive and irreversible loss of nerve cells and brain functioning, causing loss of memory and cognitive impairments affecting the ability to learn. Currently, there is no cure.
The team used human brains, donated by families for medical research, as well as transgenic sheep in Australia.
Manchester members of the team used cutting-edge gas chromatography mass spectrometry to measure brain urea levels. For levels to be toxic urea must rise 4-fold or higher than in the normal brain says Professor Cooper.
He added: "We already know Huntington's Disease is an illness caused by a faulty gene in our DNA - but until now we didn't understand how that causes brain damage - so we feel this is an important milestone.
"Doctors already use medicines to tackle high levels of ammonia in other parts of the body Lactulose - a commonly used laxative, for example, traps ammonia in the gut. So it is conceivable that one day, a commonly used drug may be able to stop dementia from progressing. It might even be shown that treating this metabolic state in the brain may help in the regeneration of tissue, thus giving a tantalising hint that reversal of dementia may one day be possible."
Explore further: Kidney disease increases risk of diabetes, study shows
More information: Renee R. Handley el al., "Brain urea increase is an early Huntington's disease pathogenic event observed in a prodromal transgenic sheep model and HD cases," PNAS (2017). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1711243115
Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences search and more info website
Again, type 2 diabetes is the culprit.
This disease has such an insidious nature. Type 2 might just be the disease that wipes out humanity.
Again, type 2 diabetes is the culprit.
This disease has such an insidious nature. Type 2 might just be the disease that wipes out humanity.
Yes, I definitely have noticed this to (on me, not you) but for me this is more pronounced if I am out of shape and then have a strenuous workout. I workout regularly and this is not an issue. However, I will say that I can certainly tell when a non-regular comes in for a hard workout. If they are next to me on the machine I know I’m in for an unpleasant stay.
I got a chuckle out of it but I’ve got to tell you, the response to your post was even funnier!
Interesting. I have read that if the doc is presented with a geriatric female exhibiting symptoms of Dementia he should first suspect Urinary Tract Infection.
My Mom has Dementia / Alzheimers / whatever the favorite term is today and when she gets especially disoriented I immediately order a culture which usually results in treatment for a UTI. The problem is that in the Geriatric the blood brain barrier is compromised and infectious agents can cross into the brain. Like Urea?
Yup. Most assuredly see the same thing.
How did you survive? I would think that would be impossible. You must be beaten to a pulp.
Amazing, I defend the President of the USA and get lambasted for it.
Just wow.
Lactulose is used to bring people out of a coma, how could it not be helpful? Asking for a friend.
Btt
I would never claim it was easy. Far from it. A couple of things did made it easier than it could have been. Other caretakers have it much harder when the opposite is true.
One, my mom was such a sweetheart that no hidden darkness or violence (of any consequence) came forth when her mind began losing control. She was somewhat weak physically and needed a walker starting about 3-4 years in which kept her from doing dangerous things. Mostly. She was sleight of build so when I had to physically carry her etc. I could handle that and it was infrequent. Her physical health remained otherwise sound until the last three months.
Beyond that we were always close and she did so much for me for so many years I could only consider it my privilege to care for her. The hardest part was not what I might have considered my sacrifices to do it but helplessly watching that *@#$ disease steal her memories and mental abilities in an ultra-slow motion fashion. And she was aware that that was happening and it upset her. That tore my heart out.
No. Uric acid crystals. Inability of the liver to metabolize certain types of proteins, most commonly purines.
Hanging out with Democrats? Getting one's news off of Facebook?
IMO, Two big causes of dementia are sugar in all its various forms and cholesterol limiting medications.
You may be right. It’s unfortunate because type 2 diabetes is preventable and curable.
Thanks Red Badger. They'd have a larger pool of data if they'd do their study on Demwit politicians and media shills.
I admit, my jokes often fall flat, but you sir, got a big laugh out of me with that.
That wasn’t just dry humour, that was Sahara dead bones dry humour. Oh well, not everyone got it but about half at least figured it out. The funny thing is that the moderator didn’t bother to figure it out before it got yanked. Such is life....
Apparently the mods didn’t get it.
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