Fatty acids in brain `can treat Alzheimer`s`

Here's some good news for those suffering from dementia -- a study has found that controlling the level of a fatty acid in the brain could help treat the Alzheimer's disease. Researchers have carried out the study and found that reducing excess levels of a fatty acid called arachidonic acid can mitigate memory problems and behavioural changes in those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In fact, the researchers from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and the University of California have based their findings on an experiment on laboratory rodents, a science journal reported. They looked at fatty acids in the brains of normal mice and compared them with those in mice who are genetically engineered to have an Alzheimer's-like condition. They identified raised levels of arachidonic acid in the brains of the Alzheimer's mice. Its release is controlled by the PLA2 enzyme. They again used genetic engineering to lower PLA2 levels in the animals, and found even partial reduction halted memory deterioration. "The most striking change we discovered in the Alzheimer's mice was an increase in arachidonic acid and related metabolites (products) in the hippocampus, a memory centre that is affected early and severely by Alzheimer's disease," co-researcher Dr Rene Sanchez-Mejia was quoted by the as saying. Added lead researcher Dr Lennart Mucke: "In general, fatty acid levels can be regulated by diet or drugs. Our results have important therapeutic implications because they suggest that inhibition of PLA2 activity might help prevent neurological impairments in Alzheimer's disease. But a lot more work needs to be done before this novel therapeutic strategy can be tested on humans."