Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: UMLS:C0030567 (
Parkinson's disease
)
63,064
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
The gaseous physiological modulator hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S) has recently been shown to exert a variety of neuroprotective effects. In particular, the treatment of transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with agents that release H
2
S aids preservation of cognitive function, suppresses brain production of amyloid beta, and decreases tau phosphorylation. The possible physiological relevance of these findings is suggested by the finding that brain and plasma levels of H
2
S are markedly lower in AD patients than matched controls. Hence, nutraceutical strategies which boost brain synthesis or levels of H
2
S may have potential for prevention of AD. The chief enzyme which synthesizes H
2
S in brain parenchyma,
cystathionine beta-synthase
(
CBS
), employs cysteine as its rate-limiting substrate, and is allosterically activated by S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Supplemental taurine has been shown to boost expression of this enzyme, as well as that of another H
2
S source, cystathionine gamma-lyase, in vascular tissue, and to enhance plasma H
2
S levels; in rats subjected to hemorrhagic stroke, co-administration of taurine has been shown to blunt a marked reduction in brain
CBS
expression. Brain levels of SAM are about half as high in AD patients as in controls, and this is thought to explain the reduction of brain H
2
S in these patients. These considerations suggest that supplementation with cysteine, taurine, and agents which promote methyl group availability - such as SAM, folate, vitamin B
12
, and betaine - may have potential for boosting brain synthesis of H
2
S and thereby aiding AD prevention. Indeed, most of these agents have already demonstrated utility in mouse AD models - albeit the extent to which increased H
2
S synthesis contributes to this protection remains unclear. Moreover, prospective epidemiology has associated low dietary or plasma levels of folate, B12, and taurine with increased dementia risk. Rodent studies suggest that effective nutraceutical strategies for boosting brain H
2
S synthesis may in fact have broad neuroprotective utility, possibly aiding prevention and/or control not only of AD but also
Parkinson's disease
and glaucoma, while diminishing the neuronal damage associated with brain trauma or stroke.
...
PMID:A diet rich in taurine, cysteine, folate, B
12
and betaine may lessen risk for Alzheimer's disease by boosting brain synthesis of hydrogen sulfide. 3145 76
