Gut-brain axis: Review on the association between Parkinson's disease and plant lectins.
Kayvon A MoinCarly FunkMeagan JosephsKyle CoombesMadeleine YeakleDhir GalaMohammad Ahmed-KhanPublished in: Archive of clinical cases (2022)
Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease (PD) has been widely recognized and supported in recent literature. Prospective and retrospective studies found non-motor symptoms within the GI, specifically constipation, precede cardinal signs and cognitive decline by almost 20 years. In 2002, Braak et al. were the first to propose that PD is a six-stage propagating neuropathological process originating from the GI tract (GIT). Aggregated α-synuclein (α-syn) protein from the GIT is pathognomonic for the development of PD. This article reviews the current literature from the past 10 years as well as original research found in PubMed on the combined effects of enteric glial cells and lectins on the development of Parkinson's Disease. Studies have found that these aggregated and phosphorylated proteins gain access to the brain via retrograde transport through fast and slow fibers of intestinal neurons. Plant lectins, commonly found within plant-based diets, have been found to induce Leaky Gut Syndrome and can activate enteric glial cells, causing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Oxidative stress on the enteric neurons, caused by a chronic neuro-inflammatory state, can cause a-syn aggregation and lead to Lewy Body formation, a hallmark finding in PD. Although the current literature provides a connection between the consumption of plant lectins and the pathophysiology of PD, further research is required to evaluate confounding variables such as food antigen mimicry and other harmful substances found in our diets.
Keyphrases
- induced apoptosis
- cognitive decline
- oxidative stress
- systematic review
- cell cycle arrest
- spinal cord
- mild cognitive impairment
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- weight loss
- neuropathic pain
- cell wall
- resting state
- cross sectional
- parkinson disease
- risk assessment
- signaling pathway
- physical activity
- cell proliferation
- sleep quality
- drinking water
- pi k akt
- anti inflammatory
- diabetic rats
- amino acid
- irritable bowel syndrome