Authors: “We hope that our findings open a new avenue towards the creation of new drugs for the treatment of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.”
TOKYO – Although scientists know many of the underlying symptoms that trigger Alzheimer’s disease, the cure remains elusive. Now, a new study suggests that oxytocin, a hormone best known for promoting feelings of love and well-being, may reverse some of the damage that degenerative disease causes.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that causes continuous deterioration of mental functions. Its main symptoms include severely damaged thinking, memory loss, and confusion.
One of the main culprits of Alzheimer’s is a protein known as amyloid β (Aβ). The researchers say that Aβ clumps together to form plaques around neurons in the brain. These accumulations of plaque disrupt normal neuronal function and trigger degeneration.
A great deal of research focuses on the accumulation of Aβ plaques in the hippocampus of the brain. This region is believed to be the brain’s main learning and memory center.
Studies find that clusters of plaques in the hippocampus alter a characteristic of neurons called synaptic plasticity, or the ability of brain synapses to adapt to different levels of neuronal activity over time. Synaptic plasticity is believed to play a crucial role in both learning and memory retention.
Prove that the love hormone works
Researchers at the Tokyo University of Sciences confirm that Aβ impairs synaptic plasticity after examining sliced plaque accumulation of mouse hippocampus. Their study then adds oxytocin to the animals’ brains, revealing that the hormone can reverse the deterioration of those synapses. When researchers block oxytocin receptors, they find that oxytocin cannot reverse Aβ protein damage, confirming the benefits of the love hormone.
The team believes that oxytocin could also reverse this damage by affecting calcium activity. Oxytocin is known to facilitate the entry of calcium into cells, which is believed to play a key role in neural signaling and memory formation. Furthermore, previous studies also suggest that Aβ might suppress calcium activity.
Based on these findings, the researchers blocked the receptors responsible for calcium transport across cell membranes. When they did, oxytocin again failed to reverse Aβ’s negative effects on synaptic plasticity.
The study authors suggest that oxytocin may benefit the brain through these two channels, reversing damage from the Aβ protein.
Hope for millions
“This is the first study in the world to show that oxytocin can reverse Aβ-induced disturbances in the mouse hippocampus,” says lead author Akiyoshi Saitoh in a press release. “Currently, there are no sufficiently satisfactory medications to treat dementia, and new therapies with new mechanisms of action are desired.”
Saitoh adds that oxytocin may give doctors hope to create a medication that focuses on memory-altering effects of Alzheimer’s disease. The World Health Organization says that there are around 50 million people with the disease worldwide.
“We hope that our findings open a new avenue toward creating new drugs for the treatment of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.”
The study is published in the journal. Biochemical and biophysical research communication.
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