Alzheimer's Disease - Endogenous Chemicals that are Depleted

Stategies that increase the production of endogenous chemicals that are depleted in Alzheimer's Disease patients may be useful therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Amines

 Low levels of Polyamines is a possible biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease (and raising endogenous Polyamines levels may be beneficial for Alzheimer's Disease patients due to the ability of Polyamines to reapir damaged Axons).  ^[1]

Enzymes

 Alzheimer's Disease causes a significant decline (up to 80%) in Alpha-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex (KGDHC) activity (indicating that restoration of KGDHC activity may improve the condition of Alzheimer's Disease patients):  ^[2]

 Regions of the Brain of Alzheimer's Disease with the greatest extent of neurofibrillary tangles correlate well with the regions of the Brain with the greatest loss of KGDHC activity - this suggests that KGDHC could play a role in the prevention of the neurofibrillary tangles associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

 The decline in KGDHC activity during Alzheimer's Disease may be responsible for some of the loss of Neurons that occurs during the progression of Alzheimer's Disease.

 Alzheimer's Disease patients exhibit significantly decreased levels of Carnitine Acetyltransferase (this observation may account for the ability of supplemental Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) to retard the further progression of Alzheimer's Disease).  ^[3]