Instead of stopping to smell flowers, scientists suggest stopping to smell your farts.
While the thought might be enough to turn your stomach, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say the gas behind the foul, rotten-egg odor known as hydrogen sulfide may help protect aging brain cells from Alzheimer’s disease.
While the foul gas is highly toxic in large doses, small doses can provide some serious health benefits, Johns Hopkins researchers noted in a study published in the issue. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Our new data strongly link aging, neurodegeneration and cell signaling using hydrogen sulfide and other gaseous molecules inside cells,” said study lead scientist Dr. Bindu Paul said.
The human body naturally creates small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which helps regulate functions throughout the body. Gases can facilitate cellular communication with the brain.
Scientists suggest that the rotten egg odor that often accompanies flatulence may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Co-author Dr. According to Solomon Snyder, hydrogen sulfide modifies target proteins through a process called chemical sulfhydration.
Levels of sulfhydration in the brain decline with age, the scientists said, noting that the trend is higher 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 had been genetically modified to mimic human Alzheimer’s disease.
Mice were injected with a hydrogen sulfide-carrying compound called NaGYY, which slowly released passenger sulfide molecules throughout the body. Mice were tested for changes in memory and motor function over a 12-week period.
Behavioral tests on rats showed that hydrogen sulfide improved cognitive and motor function by 50 percent compared to rats that did not receive injections.
Mice that received treatment were better able to remember the locations of platform edits and appeared more physically active than mice that mimicked Alzheimer’s disease but did not receive treatment.
“The results showed that the behavioral consequences of Alzheimer’s disease can be reversed by introducing hydrogen sulfide, but the researchers wanted to investigate how the brain reacts chemically to the gas molecule,” Johns Hopkins Medicine wrote in a press release about the study.
Levels of sulfhydration in the brain decline with age, scientists say, showing a greater presence of this trend in Alzheimer’s patients (Getty/iStock)
A series of experiments revealed a change 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 overreacted to another protein called tau in the brain.
When GSK3β and Tau interact, Tau causes clumps within nerve cells. As those clumps grow, complex proteins block communication between nerves, which eventually leads to their death, according to the researchers.
“This leads to the decline and eventual loss of cognition, memory and motor function that characterize Alzheimer’s disease,” the press release said.
“Understanding the cascade of events is important to designing therapies that can prevent this interaction that hydrogen sulfide can have,” said PhD student Daniel Giovinazzo, first author of the study.
Until a few years ago, researchers lacked the tools to mimic how the body makes small amounts of hydrogen sulfide inside cells.
“The compound used in this study does just that, and by improving brain levels of hydrogen sulfide, we can successfully reverse some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease,” Associate Dr. Matt Whitman said.
