Scientists from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) were able to establish a relationship between levels of irisine – a hormone produced by the body during physical exercise – and a treatment possible memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease. The study, conducted in partnership with other universities and institutes, was published this Monday (7) in the journal Nature Medicine.
The tests were performed on mice with the disease – which produced the hormone during exercise or dosing. . The authors explain that three novelties have been discovered:
There are low levels of irisin in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
[Crédit: Julim6 / Pixabay] The same deficiency was found in the mice that served as models in the study. The memory loss of mice with Alzheimer's disease
Irisina governs the positive effects of physical exercise on the memory of mice.
"The great contribution of our study was to show that the levels of this hormone are actually diminished in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. recovery of levels of this hormone in the brain of mice would be good for memory.And we have seen that, in fact, if increase the levels of irisine, improve memory, and finally, it has been shown that the # 39, irisine is precisely the intermediate between the beneficial effect of exercise and the improvement of memory, "says the professor
We already knew other functions of Irisin in various organs of the body, such as the regulation of adipose tissue metabolism and even processes occurring in the bones
For authors Mychael Lourenço and Fernanda De Felice, both of the UFRJ , the results reinforce the importance of the exercises in the fight against the disease. In addition, the fact that irisin is produced by the body itself reduces the risk of side effects, which gives hope for new treatments.
"It's different from a drug developed in the lab, for example, because we know less, unfortunately, there is no effective treatment against Alzheimer's disease, so research is very important" he explains.
For Felice, the novelty was to become aware of the beneficial effects on the brain of irisine.
"Our results confirm the importance of physical activity to prevent memory loss and brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, because we have shown that irisin administration can mimic less in animal models, the effects of physical exercise on the brain. "
Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a mortar. and progressive brain cells, altering functions such as memory, attention, orientation and language. The scientists hypothesized that irisin could be important for Alzheimer's disease seven years ago, when this hormone was discovered by a Harvard researcher.
. "We knew that people with type 2 diabetes were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, which has long been without explanation," says Mychael Lourenço.
"Studies from different laboratories have shown that it seemed that the mechanisms that work in the body to generate type 2 diabetes are very similar to those that act in the brain to cause disease. Alzheimer's, "says the researcher.
the possibility that the hormone has a protective effect on the brain.
In total, the study was conducted by 25 scientists from several countries, with the participation of the Universities of Columbia and Kentucky, United States, Queen's University and University. University of the West. (19659020) "clbad =" en-fin fr-dii "data-ref-id =" # img-1546890475665 "/> (Credit: Pixabay)
Next Steps
Despite the fact that this is not the case, "It is clear that we must always keep in mind that our study was conducted in the mouse – and what happens in the mouse is not always the case in the mouse, "he says, even in humans," recalls Sergio Ferreira. For him, however, the clinical stage – where studies are done on human beings – may have difficulties in Brazil.
"I do not know if we could do it here, if we had the financial resources and infrastructure for that, that would certainly be our interest, otherwise it's possible – I think it's very likely, do it in other countries, "he said.
According to the Ministry of Health, about one million people in Brazil suffer from the disease.
Ferreira believes that research represents the result of the efforts of the team – which, even in the event of funding problems, manages to produce a quality science.
"We owe nothing to the best The resources available to fund research in our universities are much lower than our colleagues in the developed countries they receive, it also takes months to get papers that often go out beyond the amount people are pouring there. "
The Tests 19659002] To test the memory of the mice, the scientists performed three tests.
The first was the recognition of object. The mice were placed in a box where they were exposed to two different objects, which they could explore freely. The scientists then removed the mice and exchanged one of the objects. Then they put the mice back in the box.
Mychael Lourenço explains that she was expecting to explore the new object. This, in fact, happened with normal mice. Those who had been genetically altered to have Alzheimer's disease, however, spent the same time exploring the old and the new object as they could not remember that they already knew it.
Scientists then measured memory loss in mice. depending on the time spent exploring the old object. When the animals were receiving irisin, they regained the ability to remember a normal mouse.
In the second test, the animals were placed in an aquatic labyrinth. There, they had to find a platform where they could stand without needing to swim, saving energy. This platform was hidden and his path was done with visual cues. Normal mice, without Alzheimer's, could remember the way. Affected people took longer to find the platform – or even when they applied irisin (or produced it with exercises), they could find it normally.
The third test consisted of conditioning to be feared. The mice were placed in a box where they suffered small shocks for a moment, then were removed. After 24 hours they were put back in the box. Those who remembered shocks tended to be "frozen" with fear. People with Alzheimer's have not done it.
According to Lourenço, the effect of the hormone has not been tested in the long term, but its effectiveness has been maintained for the duration of the experiments. He thinks that a future treatment with the substance will not be a single dose, but that with continued replacement, it would be possible to maintain hormone levels.
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