Are hamsters the key to a means of protecting against Alzheimer's?

Hamsters break down protein deposits during hibernation

Hamsters could help to better understand the causes of Alzheimer's disease and open up new options for preventing the disease. Physicians now found that when rodents hibernate, their brain undergoes structural changes that help to completely break down dangerous clumps of protein deposits.

The scientists of the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid found in their current study that hamsters break down typical protein clumps due to their hibernation for Alzheimer's. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Journal of Proteome Research".

In Alzheimer's, accumulation of tau protein occurs, which clumps and deposits in areas of the brain that are needed for memory. (Image: goa novi / fotolia.com)

Hibernation causes structural changes in the brain in hamsters

When hamsters hibernate, their brain goes through various structural changes that help their neurons survive even at low temperatures. These changes also appear to promote the breakdown of protein clumps. The researchers hope that further studies will help decipher the exact processes in the hamster brain during hibernation that protect against the protein deposits typical of Alzheimer's disease. Over 1.7 million people are estimated to suffer from dementia in Germany alone. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.

For the investigation, a Syrian hamster species was selected

The researchers chose to analyze the Syrian hamster species Mesocricetus auratus, as it only hibernates for three to four days when exposed to cold or darkness. When the rodents were examined before, during and after hibernation, the scientists found that 337 substances had changed in the hamsters while the animals were taking their longer deep sleep.

What changed by the hibernation in the hamsters?

The changing substances include, for example, amino acids, as well as chemicals that protect the brain from freezing. A group of lipids, known as long-chain ceramides, which could help protect against brain damage, exhibited markedly higher levels of hibernation in the hamsters compared to animals that had recently awakened. However, the biggest change was in a substance called phosphatidic acid, which was five times more concentrated in hibernating animals compared to the normal state.

How does phosphatidic acid affect tau protein??

It is known that phosphatidic acid is associated with the deposition of tau protein in the brain, explain the physicians. The current study shows that the Syrian hamsters are an excellent model for studying substances that could possibly contribute to the protection of the neurons. (As)