SWEETENER FOR TREATING PARKINSON'S DISEASE

19th June 2013 - New research

Journal of Biological Chemistry [2013] 288 (24) : 17579-17588 (R.Shaltiel-Karyo, M.Frenkel-Pinter, E.Rockenstein, C.Patrick, M.Levy-Sakin, A.Schiller, N.Egoz-Matia, E.Masliah, D.Segal, E.Gazit)  

The sweetener, mannitol, has been proposed as a potential means of treating Parkinson's Disease because of the dual mechanisms it has in the brain. Mannitol, which is used in medicine, is derived from mannose, which is a sugar. For more information go to Mannitol.

Researchers assessed the ability of mannitol to (1) interfere with the aggregation of alpha-synuclein, and (2)  its ability to disrupt the blood-brain barrier. Alpha-synuclein can accumulate in the brains of people with Parkinson's Disease and other medical disorders but can also be absent in Parkinson's Disease. It therefore appears that Parkinson's Disease can cause alpha-synuclein rather than alpha-synuclein being the cause of Parkinson's Disease as is often claimed. The blood brain barrier restricts access to the brain to certain substances. They demonstrated the effect of mannitol on alpha-synuclein by various means, and a decrease in alpha-synuclein accumulation.

The researchers therefore suggest mannitol as a basis for a dual mechanism therapeutic agent for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. However, the research was  only carried out on mice and flies, who did not have Parkinson's Disease and who were not rid of its symptoms.

THE EFFECT OF PRAMIPEXOLE ON PARKINSON'S DISEASE

13th June 2013 - New research

Lancet Neurology [2013] May 30 [Epub ahead of print] (A.H.Schapira, M.P.McDermott, P.Barone, C.L.Comella, S.Albrecht, H.H.Hsu, D.H.Massey, Y.Mizuno, W.Poewe, O.Rascol, K.Marek)  

The Pramipexole On Underlying Disease (PROUD) study was designed to identify whether or not early versus delayed pramipexole initiation has clinical benefits in people with Parkinson's Disease. Pramipexole, which is sold as Mirapex, Mirapexin and Sifrol, is a dopamine agonist used for treating early-stage Parkinson's Disease. For more information go to Mirapex.

People taking pramipexole were given 1.5mg pramipexole per day. The average difference in Parkinson's Disease symptom scores (the UPDRS) showed no significant difference between early and delayed pramipexole. Fifteen months of use showed no benefit when compared to the use of pramipexole being delayed for 6 to 9 months. Over 80% of people who took pramipexole reported adverse events, with 81% of those given early pramipexole and 84% of those given delayed pramipexole. The most frequent adverse event was nausea.  Serious adverse events were reported by 10% of people in the early pramipexole group and 8% in the delayed pramipexole group. The authors conclude that the results do not support the hypothesis that pramipexole has disease-modifying effects.