(c) flickr & Nikita Kashner
ブドウの種の抽出物がアルツハイマー病を防ぐことを示唆する研究結果が発表された。アルツハイマー病と関連した神経毒性は，脳内のβ-アミロイド（Aβ）が引き起こすとされている。記憶障害とAβ神経毒を生ずるよう遺伝的に操作したマウスにブドウの種由来のポリフェノールを投与すると，アルツハイマー病で起こる記憶喪失の促進に関与すると考えられる特定の形のAβ，Aβ*56の量が大幅に減った。将来，ポリフェノールでアルツハイマー病を予防するには，発症の危険性が高い人を特定するバイオマーカーが必要になるという。（吉田素子）
A Natural Chemical Found in Grape Seeds May Prevent Development or Progression of Alzheimer’s
Mount Sinai researchers found that polyphenols, a natural extract found in grapes, may help prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that grape seed polyphenols--a natural antioxidant--may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The research, led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, The Saunder Family Professor in Neurology {link to: http://www.mssm.edu/departments-and-institutes/neurology}, and Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, was published online in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
This is the first study to evaluate the ability of grape-derived polyphenols to prevent the generation of a specific form of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, a substance in the brain long known to cause the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer disease. In partnership with a team at the University of Minnesota led by Karen Hsiao Ashe, MD, PhD, Dr. Pasinetti and his collaborators administered grape seed polyphenolic extracts to mice genetically determined to develop memory deficits and Aβ neurotoxins similar to those found in Alzheimer’s disease. They found that the brain content of the Aβ*56, a specific form of Aβ previously implicated in the promotion of Alzheimer’s disease memory loss, was substantially reduced after treatment.
Previous studies suggest that increased consumption of grape-derived polyphenols, whose content, for example, is very high in red wine, may protect against cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s. This new finding, showing a selective decrease in the neurotoxin Aβ*56 following grape-derived polyphenols treatment, corroborates those theories.
［単語和訳］
Progression：進行 Alzheimer’s：アルツハイマー病
researchers：研究者 polyphenols：ポリフェノール extract：抽出物
antioxidant：抗酸化物質 MD：医師，医学博士 PhD：博士 Neurology：神経学 Psychiatry：精神医学 Geriatrics：老年医学 online：オンラインで
evaluate：～を評価する -derived：～由来の β-amyloid：β-アミロイド peptide：ペプチド neurotoxicity：神経毒性 associated with：～に関連した collaborators：共同研究者 administered：～を投与した polyphenolic：ポリフェノールの mice：マウス genetically：遺伝的に memory deficits：記憶障害 neurotoxins：神経毒 Aβ*56：（特定の型のβ-アミロイドの名称） implicated in：～にかかわるとされた memory loss：記憶喪失 substantially：大幅に
consumption：摂取 protect against：～を防ぐ cognitive decline：認知力低下 selective：選択的 corroborates：～を裏付ける
