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Instead of stopping to smell the flowers, scientists suggest stop to smell your farts,
While the thought might be enough to turn your stomach, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say the gas behind the foul, rotten-egg-like odor is gas, known as gas. Hydrogen sulfide may help protect aging brain cells from Alzheimer’s disease.
While the foul-smelling gas is highly toxic in large quantities, small doses may provide some serious health benefits, Johns Hopkins researchers noted in a study published in the journal Nature. issue of Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences,
“Our new data strongly links aging, neurodegeneration and cell signaling using hydrogen sulfide and other gaseous molecules within the cell,” said Dr. Bindu Paul, lead scientist on the study.
The human body naturally makes small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which helps regulate functions throughout the body. The gases may facilitate cellular messaging with the brain.
According to co-author Dr. Solomon Snyder, hydrogen sulfide modifies target proteins through a process called chemical sulfhydration.
The scientists said that sulfhydration levels in the brain decrease with age, noting that this trend is more present in Alzheimer’s patients.
“Here, using the same method, we now confirm a reduction in sulfhydration in the AD brain,” said collaborator Dr. Milos Filipovic.
As part of the study, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine looked at mice that were genetically modified to mimic human Alzheimer’s disease.
The mice were injected with a hydrogen sulfide-carrying compound called NaGYY, which slowly released passenger hydrogen sulfide molecules throughout the body. The rats were tested for changes in memory and motor function over a period of 12 weeks.
Behavioral tests on rats showed that hydrogen sulfide improved cognitive and motor function by 50 percent compared to rats that did not receive the injection.
The mice that received the treatment were better able to remember the locations of the platform edits and appeared to be more physically active than the mice that simulated Alzheimer’s disease but did not receive the treatment.
“The results showed that the behavioral consequences of Alzheimer’s disease could be reversed by introducing hydrogen sulfide, but the researchers wanted to investigate how the brain responded chemically to the gaseous molecule,” Johns Hopkins Medicine. wrote in a press release about the study.
A series of experiments revealed mutations in a normal enzyme called glycogen synthase β (GSK3β). When there are healthy levels of hydrogen sulfide, GSK3β acts as a signaling molecule.
The researchers found that in the absence of hydrogen sulfide, GSK3β is highly attracted to another protein called tau in the brain.
When GSK3β and Tau interact, Tau causes clumps to form inside nerve cells. According to the researchers, as those clumps grow, the tangled proteins block communication between the nerves, eventually leading to their death.
“This leads to the decline and eventual loss of cognition, memory and motor function that is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease,” the press release says.
“Understanding the cascade of events is important for designing treatments that can block this interaction, like hydrogen sulfide,” said PhD student Daniel Giovinazzo, first author of the study.
Until a few years ago, researchers lacked the tools to understand how the body creates small amounts of hydrogen sulfide inside cells.
“The compound used in this study does just that and shows that by correcting hydrogen sulfide levels in the brain, we can successfully reverse some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease,” said collaborator Dr. Matt Whiteman.