N-acetylglucosamine against neurodegeneration
Researchers of the Institute of Biology of Aging named after Max Planck in Cologne, working under the guidance of Dr. Adam Antebi, found that the natural compound N-acetylglucosamine has the ability to stimulate mechanisms that protect the body from neurodegenerative diseases. The addition of this compound to the feed of roundworms Caenorhabditis elegans promotes the elimination of toxic protein aggregates from their body and increases life expectancy.
The photo shows a round worm C. elegans.
The tissue producing the largest amount of N-acetylglucosamine is stained with a blue fluorescent dye.
In the process of aging of the body, its constituent proteins tend to form aggregates. At a certain point, such aggregates become toxic, overload the cell and begin to interfere with its normal functioning. This can lead to damage that, when it occurs in nerve cells, can trigger the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.
Experiments on model organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans, allowed scientists to lift the veil over the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and identify potential targets for the treatment and prevention of relevant diseases. The authors note that, despite the impossibility of assessing the severity of dementia in worms, model organisms allow us to observe the behavior of proteins involved in the development of human diseases and study their effect on neuromuscular function. This gives an idea of the progress of the disease at the molecular level.
In their latest study, the authors demonstrated the ability of N-acetylglucosamine to stimulate its own mechanisms that protect the body from neurotoxicity. This compound is a metabolite, that is, it is synthesized in the body naturally in the process of vital activity. However, its addition to the nematode feed has an exceptionally powerful effect, having a very wide spectrum of action. It manifests itself by neutralizing the toxicity of abnormal proteins in the diseases of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's modeled in worms. Moreover, this is accompanied by an increase in the lifespan of nematodes.
Apparently, N-acetylglucosamine plays a key role in quality control mechanisms that ensure the maintenance of good body health. This compound helps to get rid of toxic accumulations of proteins, both by preventing their formation and by removing existing aggregates. The result is a delay in the development of paralysis in nematodes, which are a model of neurodegeneration.
According to Antebi, scientists are still unclear about the underlying molecular mechanisms of the described phenomenon, as well as whether it takes place in the cells of higher animals and humans. However, the presence of N-acetylglucosamine in human cells as a participant in normal metabolism is promising.
Article by Martin S. Denzel et al. Hexosamine pathway metabolites enhance protein quality control and prolong life is published in the journal Cell.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Max Planck Society:
How a small worm may help the fight against Alzheimer’s.
17.03.2014