We've learned how acute inflammation is the body's way of protecting and healing itself, and how chronic inflammation is an immune response that goes awry and may eventually lead to health issues as we age. This week, we'll discuss the link between inflammation and Alzheimer's Disease.
This topic is near and dear to my heart because my mother suffered from osteoarthritis (chronic inflammation) for much of her adult life. She went to college in her mid 40s and maintained a 4.0 gpa. Sometime in her 60s, she started forgetting things. This forgetfulness progressed until, eventually, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Watching her deteriorate mentally was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever experienced. Mom passed away a little over a month ago, and I have to wonder how much her chronic inflammation contributed to her Alzheimer's, and if there were any steps that could have been taken to reduce the inflammation and prevent (or slow down) the progression of her Alzheimer's. I have a second reason for my concerns and my desire to find answers. I inherited my mother's arthritis -- it started when I was in my late teens -- so chronic inflammation has been a significant part of my life for several decades. I don't even want to imagine losing my mental faculties (my brain is my best feature). With an estimate of over 5 million people in the U.S. alone having Alzheimer's, this is personal to many of you as well. What is the link between inflammation and Alzheimer's? To answer this question, I'm going to quote sections from the research paper I wrote for my certification in Aromatherapy. This paper is titled: "The Role of Zingiber cassumunar Roxb (Plai) Essential Oil in Inflammation and Three Inflammatory Diseases" "The Role of Chronic Inflammation Inflammation is caused by the immune system responding to illness, injury, or damaged tissue. When cell damage occurs either by injury or invading pathogens, the body activates lymph and white blood cells to repair damage and restore the injured tissue. In acute situations, the swelling is temporary. Long term conditions, however, may cause chronic inflammation – even when there is no threat to the body. In this case, the white blood cells may begin to attack cells, tissues, and organs. Chemical imbalances and severe tissue damage may lead to chronic inflammation in one or more areas of the body. [27] When this happens, the body’s response can change from reparative to degenerative. As a result, chronic inflammation is believed to play a significant contributory role in in the cause and progression of arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Nuclear-Factor-Kappa Beta, Cox enzymes, Interleukin-1β, MMP-13, and MMP-2, are all biological agents involved in the inflammatory process that can lead to arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease." . . . "Nuclear Factor-Kappa Beta (NFkB) is a protein that senses damage in the body and sends signals to start and stop the inflammation process. As we get older, NFkB signaling increases and sets the body up for chronic inflammation, which causes greater vulnerability to diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. [11] Cox is an enzyme that the body produces during an inflammatory response. Its function is to produce prostanoids which are inflammatory hormones. While COX-1 is mostly good for the body and protects the digestive tract, COX-2 is a contributing factor to arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. [1, 9] Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (a pro-inflammatory cytokine), MMP-13 (an enzyme), and MMP-2 (a gelatinase) are major factors in inflammation and cartilage destruction in Osteoarthritis. [24] " " Alzheimer’s Disease In Alzheimer’s disease, nerve cells and brain tissue are destroyed and the brain shrinks significantly over the course of several years causing a progressive loss of memory. In the end stages, the brain even loses the ability to signal the autonomic functions of breathing and pumping the heart. Swelling and oxidative stress cause and contribute to several biological processes in the body which lead to the destruction of brain tissue and Alzheimer’s Disease. [4] One of the neurologic processes affected by inflammation is with the neurotransmitters Acetylcholine and butyrycholine. These neurotransmitters carry signals from cell to cell in the brain – they allow thinking, talking, remembering, and functioning to take place. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrycholinesterase (BChE) are enzymes that break down acetylcholine and butyrycholine respectively. Normally, AChE and BChE are balanced which keeps acetylcholine and butyrycholine balanced. However, chronic inflammation may interfere with AChE and BChE causing them to get out of balance, changing their roles from supportive to degenerative and negatively affecting the generation of neuronal cells. " "A second neurologic process influenced by inflammation is movement of Beta amyloid (β-A). β-A is a ‘sticky’ protein found in fatty membranes that surround nerve cells. Chronic inflammation may cause β-A to form clumps, or plaques. Small groups of these plaques (fibrils) may block cellular signaling at synapses which in turn, causes more inflammation by activating immune system cells. The immune cells come to try and fix the damage and eat the damaged nerve cells. [4] " "A third neurologic process affected by chronic inflammation is tau. Proteins in our bodies form a system of straight tracks to move nutrients and other important materials to different parts of the body. Tau is a protein that keeps those tracks straight. Neuro-inflammation can cause tau to collapse into twisted strands called tau tangles. In these areas, the transportation system falls apart and cells die. The cortex – especially the hippocampus – is eventually disintegrated in this process. [4] " As you can see, inflammation is a complicated process and has a significant effect on the brain. Chronic inflammation is not the sole factor in the development of Alzheimer's Disease, but it does play a key role. The good news is that we can take proactive steps to, hopefully, reduce both chronic inflammation and brain degeneration. Next week, we'll focus on some ways to deal with acute inflammation and reduce chronic inflammation naturally. Resources: 1. Dragoo, Karen "The Role of Zingiber cassumunar Roxb (Plai) Essential Oil in Inflammation and Three Inflammatory Diseases" 2017 Certification Research Paper for Aromahead Institute School of Essential Oil Studies Resources for my research paper: [1] All About COX2 - Selfhacked. (2017). Selfhacked. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from https://selfhacked.com/blog/cox2-natural-cox2-inhibitors/ [2] Anasamy, T., Abdul, A., Sukari, M., Abdelwahab, S., Mohan, S., & Kamalidehghan, B. et al. (2013). A Phenylbutenoid Dimer,cis-3-(3′,4′-Dimethoxyphenyl)-4-[(E)-3′′′,4′′′Dimethoxystyryl] Cyclohex-1-ene, Exhibits Apoptogenic Properties in T-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells via Induction of p53-Independent Mitochondrial Signalling Pathway. Evidence-Based Complementary And Alternative Medicine, 2013, 114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/939810 [3] Bhuiyan, M., Chowdhury, J., & Begum, J. (2008). Volatile constituents of essential oils isolated from leaf and rhizome of Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. Bangladesh Journal Of Pharmacology, 3(2), 69-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjp.v3i2.844 [4] Brain Tour. (2011). Alz.org/braintour. Retrieved 6 December 2017, from https://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_4719.asp [5] Butje, A. (2010). Loving Terpinen-4-ol. Blog.aromahead.com. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from https://blog.aromahead.com/2010/08/12/loving-terpinen-4-ol [6] Danovi, S. (2017). Feeling the heat – the link between inflammation and cancer. Cancer Research UK - Science blog. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2013/02/01/feeling-the-heat-the-link-betweeninflammation-and-cancer/ [7] Deadly NSAIDS | American Nutrition Association. (2017). Americannutritionassociation.org. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/deadly-nsaids [8] Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. (Zingiberaceae). (2015). Phytojournal.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017, from http://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2015/vol4issue1/PartA/3.1-921.pdf [9] Eustice, C. (2017). What Are the Drawbacks of Cyclooxygenase?. Verywell. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from https://www.verywell.com/cyclooxygenase-cox-1-and-cox-22552188 [10] Formulation Development of Plai Nanoemulsion Based on the Influence of Surfactant Combinations. (2012). Journal of the Science Faculty of Chiang Mai University. Retrieved 6 December 2017, from http://epg.science.cmu.ac.th/ejournal/journalDetail.php?journal_id=4558 [11] Goepp, J. (2017). What Is Nuclear Factor-Kappa Beta? - page 1 | Life Extension. LifeExtension.com. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2006/7/report_nuclear/page-01 [12] Hauser, R. (2010). The Acceleration of Articular Cartilage Degeneration in Osteoarthritis by Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs. Journalofprolotherapy.com. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://www.journalofprolotherapy.com/pdfs/issue_05/issue_05_10_nsaids.pdf [13] Jalaja, M., Krishnakumar, K., Dineshkumar, B., Anish, J., David, P., & Joseph, C. (2013). Herbs for Alzheimer disease - A Review. Urpjournals.com. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://www.urpjournals.com/tocjnls/42_13v3i3_2.pdf [14] Kaewchoothong, A., Tewtrakul, S., & Panichayupakaranant, P. (2012). Inhibitory Effect of Phenylbutanoid-richZingiber cassumunarExtracts on Nitric Oxide Production by Murine Macrophage-like RAW264.7 Cells. Phytotherapy Research, 26(12), 1789-1792. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ptr.4661 [15] Koontongkaew, S., Poachanukoon, O., Sireeratawong, S., Dechatiwongse Na Ayudhya, T., Khonsung, P., & Jaijoy, K. et al. (2014). Safety Evaluation ofZingiber cassumunarRoxb. Rhizome Extract: Acute and Chronic Toxicity Studies in Rats. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2014, 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/632608 [16] Leelarungrayub, J., Manorsoi, J., & Manorsoi, A. (2017). Anti-inflammatory activity of niosomes entrapped with Plai oil (<em>Zingiber cassumunar</em> Roxb.) by therapeutic ultrasound in a rat model. International Journal Of Nanomedicine, Volume 12, 2469-2476. http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/ijn.s129131 [17] Li, X., Cai, X., Fan, F., Niu, H., Li, S., & Li, D. et al. (2015). Observation of sGAG content of human hip joint cartilage in different old age groups based on EPIC micro-CT. Connective Tissue Research, 56(2), 99-105. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/03008207.2015.1009052 [18] Manosroi, J., Dhumtanom, P., & Manosroi, A. (2006). Anti-proliferative activity of essential oil extracted from Thai medicinal plants on KB and P388 cell lines. Cancer Letters, 235(1), 114-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2005.04.021 [19] Metcalfe, M., & Figueiredo-Pereira, M. (2010). Relationship Between Tau Pathology and Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine: A Journal Of Translational And Personalized Medicine, 77(1), 50-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/msj.20163 [20] Mortimer, S. (2009). Plai - a natural anti-inflammatory. Balance-holistics.blogspot.com. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://balance-holistics.blogspot.com/search?q=plai [21] Okonogi. (2012). Enhancement of anti-cholinesterase activity of Zingiber cassumunar essential oil using a microemulsion technique. Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics, 6(5), 249-255. http://dx.doi.org/10.5582/ddt.2012.v6.5.249 [22] Panthong, A., Kanjanapothi, D., Niwatananant, W., Tuntiwachwuttikul, P., & Reutrakul, V. (1997). Anti-inflammatory activity of compound D {(E)-4-(3′,4′dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-2-ol} isolated from Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. Phytomedicine, 4(3), 207-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0944-7113(97)80069-4 [23] Rakoff-Nahoum, S. (2007). Cancer Issue: Why Cancer and Inflammation?. PubMed Central (PMC). Retrieved 5 December 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1994795/ [24] Rujirek, C., Siriwan, O., Siriwan, T., Prachya, K., Ampai, P., & Vichai, R. (2012). Chondroprotective potential of bioactive compounds of Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. against cytokine-induced cartilage degradation in explant culture. Journal Of Medicinal Plants Research, 6(39), 5204-5213. http://dx.doi.org/10.5897/jmpr11.1633 [25] Shacter, E., & Weitzman, S. (2002). Chronic Inflammation and Cancer | Cancer Network | The Oncology Journal. Cancernetwork.com. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://www.cancernetwork.com/colorectal-cancer/chronic-inflammation-and-cancer [26] Singh, D., Gupta, M., Kesharwani, R., & Misra, K. (2013). Comparative docking and ADMET study of some curcumin derivatives and herbal congeners targeting β-amyloid. Network Modeling Analysis In Health Informatics And Bioinformatics, 2(1), 13-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13721-012-0021-7 [27] Szalay, J. (2015). Inflammation: Causes, Symptoms & Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Live Science. Retrieved 6 December 2017, from https://www.livescience.com/52344inflammation.html [28] ToxTutor - Systemic Toxic Effects. (2017). Toxtutor.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 6 December 2017, from https://toxtutor.nlm.nih.gov/03-003.html [29] Udomlak, S., Prapassorn, R., Putthita, P., Sopida, C., & Vichien, K. (2009). Chemical Composition and Physical Properties of Oil from Plai (Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.) Obtained by Hydro Distillation and Hexane Extraction. Kasetsartjournal.ku.ac.th. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from http://kasetsartjournal.ku.ac.th/kuj_files/2010/A1003081306505000.pdf [30] Viscosupplementation, H. (2017). Hyaluronic Acid / Viscosupplementation | Patient Education. Patient Education. Retrieved 5 December 2017, from https://cartilage.org/patient/about-cartilage/can-i-be-treated-without-surgery/hyaluronicacidviscosupplementation/ Recommended Reading/Websites: https://alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers/brain_tour https://www.alzdiscovery.org/news-room/blog/inflammation-the-driver-of-alzheimers-disease https://www.news-medical.net/health/Inflammation-and-Alzheimers-Disease.aspx https://thevaccinereaction.org/2017/11/chronic-inflammation-in-alzheimers-disease/ https://sanescohealth.com/alzheimers-disease-and-inflammation/ https://bodyecology.com/articles/alzheimers-and-inflammation/ Comments are closed.
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