Advance research on the protective effect of the partner against neurons

The author of the research, Juan Ferrario, of the Institute of Pharmacological Research (CONICET – UBA), explained that the effect of the companion "exceeds a simple antioxidant effect" and that the good news obtained in the laboratory could be extrapolated When asked about what he seeks to demonstrate and about the purpose of the research he's conducting, Ferrario says, "This is was observed in a very interesting population study that the neurologist Emilia developed. Gatto, but where only statistical evidence has been demonstrated at the population level. We then began to try to evaluate the potential protective effect that the mate might have on Parkinson's models, and begin to look for the cellular mechanisms by which the partner might be beneficial for a neurodegenerative disease such as the Parkinson disease. In this sense, Irene Taravini is very advanced in a study on parkinsonian mice to which she administers the companion. "

She added that" on the other hand, we started to study a more simplified model. dopaminergic neurons. This type of neurons are those who die in Parkinson's disease. Death is slow and progressive throughout life, which is why for many years we look for substances that can slow down the process of death. The ideal would be to stop, something that would be a cure, but slowing it down could be very beneficial to the patient. "

" The culture we use has dopaminergic neurons that progressively degenerate into culture conditions in a period of 10 to 14 days, and is an in vitro model widely used to study the dynamics of death and survival of this type of neurons. So we added a yerba mate extract to the culture medium to see its effect on these neurons, "says the researcher.

Juan Ferrario admits that they were surprised when they discovered that this extract had an effect very potent neuroprotective, comparable with specific growth factors for dopaminergic neurons.This may not be surprising since it is known that antioxidants are naturally neuroprotective, and that the companion possesses powerful antioxidant substances, but anyway, even if we expected it, to observe it is very good and encouraging. "

Neuron Protection

The researcher stated that" what we have the intention is to demonstrate – in a simplified model – that the compounds present in yerba mate are indeed able to protect the dopaminergic neurons.When I say "pretend", I mean all the l & # 39; team, which is complemented by researchers Pedro Ballestero and Alejandra Bernardi, both very happy.

Asked about the state of progress of the investigation and when they think they can count on results, Juan Ferrario replied: "The first stage of our investigation is at an end, because that we have shown that the yerba mate extract delays the death of dopaminergic neurons in culture ". In addition, we have deepened this neuroprotective effect with that of a known antioxidant and we have evaluated the effect of other substances present in the mate such as caffeine, theobromine and chlorogenic acid . In this sense, we find that yerba mate extract is better neuroprotective with the three compounds isolated. But also chlorogenic acid, and not caffeine or theobromine, promotes the development of the dendritic tree. the effect of the companion goes beyond a simple antioxidant effect and triggers intracellular information that promotes the growth of neurons ", explains the specialist and researcher.

" These results We send them to publish in a journal international scientist, but at the same time we are already working on the later stages of the project, which is to begin to understand the cellular mechanism by which the partner protects the dopaminergic neurons in the culture and begins to think about how these results can be projected to Therapeutic purposes, "said Ferrario

More complex studies are missing

To conclude, the researcher asked to" be careful "with the conclusions ," Because the results obtained in the laboratory (in vitro or in vitro tests), we must transpose to more complex models, such as rodents Also in the case of people is more complex, since we are talking about different mechanisms of neuronal death, different moments of exposure to the companion, different concentrations that we do not know (we do not know how much "maté" reaches the neurons in the brain) and variables between one or the other taker. There are many other variables that make what you see in the laboratory different than what happens in a patient 's brain. "

However, he admitted that" we must take our results as "something more" to think that the companion may be beneficial against Parkinson's disease . That is, add this to the companion's antioxidant capacity, and to the population evidence published by researcher Emilia Gatto 2 years ago. Science is based on the accumulation of evidence, preferably by different methods and actors, and we are now providing very solid evidence. "