We all know about TUDCA, a bile acid which has been used medicinally for centuries, is used in combination with sodium phenylbutyrate, in treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). TUDCA is also used in retinal degenerative disorders and is studied in Parkinson's disease.
There is evidence that there are differences in the serum levels of bile acids in males and females and their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The authors of a new publication on medRxiv previously reported that serum bile acids are associated with Alzheimer's disease. It remains unclear, however, how changes in serum bile acids may relate to the development of Alzheimer's disease in a sex-dependent manner.
They analyzed 33 bile acids in the sera of 4219 samples from 1180 subjects in a Alzheimer's disease cohort and they examined the associations between bile acids and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progression and clinical markers.
The scientists found that significant alterations in bile acids profiles occurred at an early stage of MCI and were associated with the onset and progression of MCI. These changes were more dramatic in men than in women. Bile acids markers improved the ability to diagnose MCI and predict its progression.
Many studies hint at a role of cholesterol in neurodegenerative diseases. For example protein clearance ability is age-related, regulated by brain cholesterol. Bile acids have metabolic actions in the body resembling those of hormones in triglyceride metabolism, glucose metabolism, and liver growth.
Half of the amount of cholesterol produced by the body is used for bile acid synthesis. Bile acid sequestrants are used to lower the level of LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood. As many aged people are prescribed bile acid sequestrants it could be worth to investigate the link between this kind of medication and the apparition of some neurodegenerative diseases.