Brazilian studies have shown that intestinal imbalance can cause Parkinson’s disease

Two recently published Brazilian scientific articles suggest that an imbalance in the gut can influence the development of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease. According to the results, the condition can arise earlier in internal nervous system – Responsible for controlling the movement of the digestive system – before progressing to the brain.

The first article was developed by a team from the National Laboratory of Biological Sciences (LNBio), in Campinas, and published last month in the journal. iScience. Meanwhile, the second article was published in Scientific Reportssupported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Fapesp).

The groups report that intestinal dysbacteriosis (a clinical condition that occurs when the gut microbiota has an imbalance in its bacteria) is often seen in patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

As the work indicates, some gut cells contain a protein called a-synuclein, which has a direct relationship to Parkinson’s disease. These cells are connected by synapses with neurons, thus forming a neural circuit between the digestive system and the enteric nervous system, which can lead to a neurodegenerative state.

Scientists analyzed specific bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila, is able to synthesize a-synuclein protein in intestinal cells. Then they realized that when the enterocytes grew with neurons, the a-synuclein protein could be transferred from one cell type to another.

In other words, this protein can then travel to the central nervous system, forming a possible mechanism for the onset of Parkinson’s disease.

source: iScienceAnd the Scientific Reports