An Argument For Treating The Gut In Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

  • 2003

    Braak, et al hypothesized that “PD originates outside the CNS, caused by a yet unidentified pathogen” and propagates to the brain via the vagus nerve.

  • 2011

    Forsyth, et al demonstrated increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) in PD patients vs controls. In addition, leaky gut correlated with increased E coli and α-synuclein presence in the intestinal mucosa.

  • 2012

    Alkaly, et al concluded from a study of 257 PD patients and 198 controls, that higher adherence to a Mediterranean Diet was associated with reduced odds for PD development.

  • 2015-16

    Erny, et al 2015, Malcovitch-Natan, et al 2016 and Rooks, et al 2016 demonstrate that gut bacteria control the differentiation and function of immune cells in the intestine, periphery and brain.

  • 2016

    Unger, et al analyzed fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) in 34 PD patients vs age matched controls. SCFA’s were significantly reduced in PD patients vs controls. Additionally, age matched controls had lower SCFA’s compared to a younger control group.

  • 2016

    Sampson, et al, in a PD mouse model, showed that colonization of mice with microbiota from PD patients enhances physical impairment compared to transplants from healthy donors.

  • 2018

    Schwiertz, et al confirmed elevated levels of fecal calprotectin and other inflammatory markers in PD vs controls. Calprotectin: 87.1 vs 25.3

  • 2019

    Kimeta, et al, in a mouse model of PD, injected pathological α-synuclein (PAS) into the duodenal and pyloric muscularis layer. PAS spread to the brain, but not in animals with a truncal vagotomy.

  • 2022

    Abdel-Haq, et al demonstrated that a prebiotic diet attenuates motor deficits and reduces α-synuclein aggregation in the substantia nigra in a mouse model of PD.

  • 2023

    Hall, et al published an open label study of 20 PD patients treated with a prebiotic fiber bar for 14 days. Results indicated beneficial changes in the fecal microbiota, SCFA, inflammation, and systemic NfL levels.

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46. Duan, W.-X., Wang, F., Liu, J.-Y. & Liu, C.-F. Relationship Between Short-chain Fatty Acids and Parkinson’s Disease: A Review from Pathology to Clinic. Neurosci. Bull. 40, 500–516 (2024).

47. Metzdorf, J. & Tönges, L. Short-chain fatty acids in the context of Parkinson’s disease. Neural Regen Res 16, 2015 (2021).

48. Sampson, T. R. et al. Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson’s Disease. Cell 167, 1469-1480.e12 (2016).

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