“Type 3” Diabetes in Alzheimer’s, but maybe also in some Autism

Intranasal insulin, for cognitive enhancement in Alzheimer’s and …

Today’s post was sparked by another little experiment of mine; no, not intranasal insulin.

Recently I have been using a reduced number of therapies on Monty, aged 12 with ASD.  Some people think there are just too many pills.

I wrote many posts last year about something called PPAR gamma (Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, PPAR-γ or PPARG, also known as the glitazone receptor).

As you can read in Wikipedia:-

PPAR-gamma has been implicated in the pathology of numerous diseases including obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cancer. PPAR-gamma agonists have been used in the treatment of hyperlipidaemia andhyperglycemia. PPAR-gamma decreases the inflammatory response of many cardiovascular cells, particularly endothelial cells. PPAR-gamma activates the PON1 gene, increasing synthesis and release of paraoxonase 1 from the liver, reducing atherosclerosis.

Many insulin sensitizing drugs (namely, the thiazolidinediones) used in the treatment of diabetes target PPARG as a means to lower serum glucose without increasing pancreatic insulin secretion.

What we found out in earlier posts that PPAR-gamma can be used to reduce microglial activation, which should turn down the body’s “immunostat”.  A key feature of many people’s autism appears to be an over-activated immune system, reflected by activated microglia.

PPAR-gamma agonists as regulators of microglial activation and brain inflammation.

The present review summarizes the several lines of evidence supporting that PPAR-gamma natural and synthetic agonists may control brain inflammation by inhibiting several functions associated to microglial activation, such as the expression of surface antigens and the synthesis of nitric oxide, prostaglandins, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. 

Although most of the evidence comes from in vitro observations, an increasing number of studies in animal models further supports the potential therapeutic use of PPAR-gamma agonists in human brain diseases including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Experiment

The potent PPAR-gamma agonist drugs like Rosiglitazone, have side effects which I think make them unsuitable for autism.  I use a flavanol called Tangeritin, in the form of a supplement called Sytrinol.

For two months we have not used Sytrinol, but yesterday Monty had one pill after lunch.

The piano lesson was great and then Monty had three hours with his Assistant, doing academic work and then some more piano practice.

Before she went home, Monty’s Assistant spent ten minutes telling me, and Monty’s big brother, just how great the afternoon had been.

“Monty was amazing today”

“When he was doing math, it was like he wasn’t autistic”

(we live in a country where autism means strict definition autism, what in the US is called severe autism)

“Did you hear how he played the piano?”

I told Monty’s brother to make a mental note of this and tell it to Mum/Mom later.

The next day the effect of Sytrinol was not as profound.

This actually is a recurring theme, the effect of various interventions is the greatest at the beginning  and then, as the body’s feedback loops get involved, the effect reduces.  

The same is true with cinnamon, another food-based intervention, that also helps people with diabetes.  The effect in (some) autism is greatest when you start.

It would be great if it was possible to keep the full initial effect of both Sytrinol and Cinnamon, and avoiding the dampening reaction caused by feedback loops.

I think if this is possible, it will be via targeting the therapy directly at the brain, rather than the entire body.  This can be achieved via the intranasal route, as used with oxytocin.

What to put in the spray?  This would be a very personalizable solution, since different people have different dysfunctions and to varying degrees.  Some possibilities might include:-

·        Insulin  (read on to learn why)
·        IGF-1
·        T3 thyroid hormone
·        TRH
·        Type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) 
·        Oxytocin
  

Fine tuning Cognition

It is difficult to be certain what therapy is responsible for what effect.

I recently told one researcher/parent that interventions in autism seem to take effect very quickly and so you can pretty rapidly run through a series of mini-trials to see what helps, what makes things worse and what does nothing.  Being a researcher, his view is that you need to try things for much longer.

One problem of trials lasting months is that external factors may then change, that cause behavior to change and distort the result. This is why I try to avoid trials from May to October, the allergy season.

Many people do find that some supplements help a lot for a week or two and then make things worse.  This includes things like some B vitamins and carnitine.  For other people continued use keeps giving a positive effect.

Previous Experience with Sytrinol

Monty’s assistant at school last year thought Sytrinol made him cleverer.

She also thought the PAK inhibiting propolis (BIO 30) had a similar effect.  This propolis is quite expensive and I concluded the effect was small and this might be because it just was not potent enough. 

One reader of this blog is using a much more potent PAK inhibitor, FRAX486, and some people in the US use Ivermectin.

Ivermectin is an anti-parasite drug which also happens to be a PAK inhibitor.  It is not suitable for long term use.

 Why would Sytrinol improve cognition?

I have written a lot about PPAR gamma in the past, so today has a new angle on the subject.

I did a quick check on PPAR gamma and cognition.

I was surprised what I found.

  

Central activation of PPAR-gamma ameliorates diabetes induced cognitive dysfunction and improves BDNF expression

  

PPARγ Recruitment to Active ERK during Memory Consolidation Is Required for Alzheimer's Disease-Related Cognitive Enhancement

Cognitive impairment is a quintessential feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD mouse models. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonist rosiglitazone improves hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits in some AD patients and ameliorates deficits in the Tg2576 mouse model for AD amyloidosis. Tg2576 cognitive enhancement occurs through the induction of a gene and protein expression profile reflecting convergence of the PPARγ signaling axis and the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) cascade, a critical mediator of memory consolidation. We therefore tested whether PPARγ and ERK associated in protein complexes that subserve cognitive enhancement through PPARγ agonism. Coimmunoprecipitation of hippocampal extracts revealed that PPARγ and activated, phosphorylated ERK (pERK) associated in Tg2576 in vivo, and that PPARγ agonism facilitated recruitment of PPARγ to pERK during memory consolidation. Furthermore, the amount of PPARγ recruited to pERK correlated with the cognitive reserve in humans with AD and in Tg2576. Our findings implicate a previously unidentified PPARγ–pERK complex that provides a molecular mechanism for the convergence of these pathways during cognitive enhancement, thereby offering new targets for therapeutic development in AD.

Cognitive Enhancementwith Rosiglitazone Links the Hippocampal PPAR gamma and ERK MAPK Signaling Pathways

Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s and Diabetes

The pathogenesis of a disease is the biological mechanism (or mechanisms) that lead to the diseased state.

I am not suggesting that autism leads to Alzheimer’s.  (We do though know that most people with Down Syndrome will develop early Alzheimer’s in their 40s or 50s)

Many complex diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer and indeed autism have multiple biological mechanisms behind them.

By studying the molecular pathways involved in one disease it may help understand another disease.  This is why some readers of this blog follow the cancer/oncology research.

For some time I have been intrigued at the overlap between diabetes and autism.  What is good for autism really does seem to be good for diabetes and vice versa.

Alzheimer’s Disease as Type 3 Diabetes

I was surprised to learn that some clinicians now consider Alzheimer’s Disease as Type 3 Diabetes.           

You will recall that Type 1 diabetes is when your pancreas packs up making insulin and then you have to inject yourself with supplementary insulin.

Type 2 diabetes occurs in late middle age, often linked to obesity, and is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance (insulin sensitivity), and relative lack of insulin.

Insulin resistance (IR) is generally regarded as a pathological condition in which cells fail to respond to the normal actions of the hormone insulin. The body produces insulin. When the body produces insulin under conditions of insulin resistance, the cells in the body are resistant to the insulin and are unable to use it as effectively, leading to high blood sugar. Beta cells in the pancreas subsequently increase their production of insulin, further contributing to a high blood insulin level. This often remains undetected and can contribute to a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.  Despite the ill-effects of severe insulin resistance, recent investigations have revealed that insulin resistance is primarily a well-evolved mechanism to conserve the brain's glucose consumption by preventing muscles from taking up excessive glucose.^[

Eventually Type 2 diabetes may progress to Type 1 diabetes mellitus, where the body's own immune system attacks the beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. This means the body can no longer produce and secrete insulin into the blood and regulate the blood glucose concentration. We saw how the use of Verapamil can stop beta cells being destroyed.

Some clinicians/researchers propose that diabetes of the brain should be called Type 3 diabetes.

The research does support the view that Alzheimer’s does incorporate this brain-specific type of diabetes.  But I know wonder if this applies to some autism.

Alzheimer’s Disease Is Type 3 Diabetes—Evidence Reviewed

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has characteristic histopathological, molecular, and biochemical abnormalities, including cell loss; abundant neurofibrillary tangles; dystrophic neurites; amyloid precursor protein, amyloid-β (APP-Aβ) deposits; increased activation of prodeath genes and signaling pathways; impaired energy metabolism; mitochondrial dysfunction; chronic oxidative stress; and DNA damage. Gaining a better understanding of AD pathogenesis will require a framework that mechanistically interlinks all these phenomena. Currently, there is a rapid growth in the literature pointing toward insulin deficiency and insulin resistance as mediators of AD-type neurodegeneration, but this surge of new information is riddled with conflicting and unresolved concepts regarding the potential contributions of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, and obesity to AD pathogenesis. Herein, we review the evidence that (1) T2DM causes brain insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and cognitive impairment, but its aggregate effects fall far short of mimicking AD; (2) extensive disturbances in brain insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling mechanisms represent early and progressive abnormalities and could account for the majority of molecular, biochemical, and histopathological lesions in AD; (3) experimental brain diabetes produced by intracerebral administration of streptozotocin shares many features with AD, including cognitive impairment and disturbances in acetylcholine homeostasis; and (4) experimental brain diabetes is treatable with insulin sensitizer agents, i.e., drugs currently used to treat T2DM. We conclude that the term “type 3 diabetes” accurately reflects the fact that AD represents a form of diabetes that selectively involves the brain and has molecular and biochemical features that overlap with both type 1 diabetes mellitus and T2DM.

Altogether, the results from these studies provide strong evidence in support of the hypothesis that AD represents a form of diabetes mellitus that selectively afflicts the brain

The human and experimental animal model studies also showed that CNS impairments in insulin/IGF signaling mechanisms can occur in the absence of T1DM or T2DM

Altogether, the data provide strong evidence that AD is intrinsically a neuroendocrine disease caused by selective impairments in insulin and IGF signaling mechanisms, including deficiencies in local insulin and IGF production.

At the same time, it is essential to recognize that T2DM and T3DM are not solely the end results of insulin/IGF resistance and/or deficiency, because these syndromes are unequivocally accompanied by significant activation of inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction, which contribute to the degenerative cascade by exacerbating insulin/ IGF resistance.

Some of the most relevant data supporting this concept have emerged from clinical studies demonstrating cognitive improvement and/or stabilization of cognitive impairment in subjects with early AD following treatment with intranasal insulin or  a PPAR agonist

Repurposing Diabetes Drugs for Brain Insulin Resistance in Alzheimer Disease

 Although many classes of drugs are now approved for management of diabetes, a primary focus of efforts to treat insulin-signaling dysfunction in AD has been the administration of exogenous insulin. There is abundant anecdotal evidence that insulin administration in people with diabetes may acutely affect mood, behavior, and cognitive performance.

Results of recent pilot studies of intranasal insulin in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD have been encouraging. The most notable of these studies was a doubleblind, randomized trial of 104 older adults with MCI or AD who received placebo, low-dose (20 IU), or high-dose (40 IU) intranasal insulin for 4 months

In 2012, the U.S. National Institutes of Health allocated $7.9 million for a pivotal trial of intranasal insulin called the Study of Nasal Insulin in the Fight Against Forgetfulness (SNIFF; ClinicalTrials identifier: NCT01767909). This multicenter phase 2/3 study will be conducted by the ADCS. It is expected to recruit 250 participants with AD or MCI and to randomize them for 12 months to intranasal insulin or placebo, followed by an open-label extension of 6 months in which all participants will receive intranasal insulin. The study should be completed in late 2014.  The Study of Nasal Insulin in the Fight Against Forgetfulness (SNIFF)

In preclinical studies, TZDs improved biomarkers of AD as well as memory and cognition (31). The first pilot studies in humans were also generally encouraging, including a study by Watson et al. (32) that showed improved memory and modulation of amyloid-b levels in CSF compared with placebo after 6 months of treatment with rosiglitazone. On the basis of these preliminary studies, the maker of rosiglitazone sponsored two adequately powered phase 3 studies of rosiglitazone in AD as monotherapy or as adjunctive therapy to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in mild to-moderate AD. These larger trials failed to replicate the positive findings of the smaller pilot studies (33).

Many explanations have been proposed for why rosiglitazone does not appear to be effective as a treatment for AD in cognitively impaired adults. Perhaps the most convincing explanation is that rosiglitazone has only modest blood-brain barrier penetration, and in fact, rosiglitazone is actively pumped out of the brain by an endogenous efflux system (34). Therefore, rosiglitazone should be expected to have only a mild insulin-sensitizing effect in the human brain.

   

Conclusion

The type 2 diabetes drugs like Rosiglitazone/Pioglitazone have been trialed in both autism and Alzheimer’s.  The results in autism with pioglitazone were positive, in Alzheimer’s they used Rosiglitazone, due to the adverse side effects of pioglitazone, and the results were very mixed.  Rosiglitazone has only modest blood-brain barrier penetration so it looks a poor choice.

In the autism trial they measured "autism" rather than cognitive function.

Effect of pioglitazone treatment on behavioral symptoms in autistic children 

In a small cohort of autistic children, daily treatment with 30 or 60 mg p.o. pioglitazone for 3–4 months induced apparent clinical improvement without adverse events. There were no adverse effects noted and behavioral measurements revealed a significant decrease in 4 out of 5 subcategories (irritability, lethargy, stereotypy, and hyperactivity). Improved behaviors were inversely correlated with patient age, indicating stronger effects on the younger patients.

Conclusion  Pioglitazone should be considered for further testing of therapeutic potential in autistic patients.

One to watch is the effect of the standard type 2 diabetes treatment Metformin on cognition in Alzheimer’s.  Nobody really knows the mode of action of Metformin.

Effect of Insulin Sensitizer Metformin on AD Biomarkers

Repurposing metformin: an old drug with new tricks in its binding pockets

Intranasal insulin is very interesting and not just in Alzheimer’s.

Intranasal insulin improves memory in humans

Intranasal Insulin as a Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review of Basic Research and Clinical Evidence

Intranasal Insulin Improves Age-Related Cognitive Deficits and Reverses Electrophysiological Correlates of Brain Aging

I will add it to my growing list of therapies for mild cognitive impairment, in case I need it in the future.

·        Nerve growth factor (NGF) eye drops
·        Lions Mane Mushrooms (that increase NGF)
·        Cocoa Flavanols (increase cerebral blood flow)
·        Intranasal insulin or just Tangeritin/Sytrinol

I do not know if intranasal insulin would be a safe long-term therapy for children, but it would be a good diagnostic tool.  Once large numbers of older people start using intranasal insulin for cognition, we will find out how well it is tolerated.  Older people seem far more prone to side effects than younger people.


For now I think Tangeritin/Sytrinol is the best choice.

Tangeretin vs Ibuprofen, as PPARγ agonists for Autism. What about PPARγ for Epilepsy?

Summary of the therapeutic actions of PPARγ in diabetic nephropathy

From:  Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and renal diseases

I did write an earlier post about NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Ibuprofen, which I expected to have no effect on autism.

  

Cytokines from the Eruption of Permanent Teeth causing Flare-ups in Autism

However, to my surprise, I found that certain types of autism “flare-up” do respond very well to Ibuprofen.  Based on the comments I received, it seems that many other people have the same experience.

NSAIDs work by inhibiting something called COX-2, but they also inhibit COX-1.  The side effects of NSAIDs come from their unwanted effect on COX-1.

NSAIDs are both pain relievers and, in high doses, anti-inflammatory.  Long term use of NSAIDs is not recommended, due to their (COX-1 related) side effects.

Observational Study

All I can say is that in Monty, aged 11 with ASD, and with his last four milk teeth wobbly but refusing to come out, the increase in the cytokine IL-6 that the body uses to signal the roots of the milk teeth to dissolve seems to account for some of his flare-ups.  I do not think it is anything to do with pain.

This is fully treatable with occasional use of Ibuprofen and then “extreme behaviours” are entirely avoided.

Sytrinol (Tangeretin) vs Ibuprofen

Since Ibuprofen, when given long term, has known problems, I looked for something else.

On my list of things to investigate has been “selective PPAR gamma agonists”, which is quite a mouthful.  The full name is even longer.  The nuclear transcription factor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARy) regulates genes in anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and mitochondrial pathways.  All three of these pathways are affected in autism.

We already know that non-selective PPARy agonists, like pioglitazone, developed to treat type 2 diabetes, can be used to treat autism.  The problem is that being “non-selective” they can have nasty side effects, leading to Pioglitazone being withdrawn in some markets.

  

Effect of pioglitazone treatment on behavioral symptoms in autistic children

  

While looking for a “better” PPARγ agonist, I came across the flavonoid Tangeretin, which is commercially available in a formulation called Sytrinol.

An effective PPARγ agonist would have many measurable effects.  The literature is full of natural substances that may, to some degree, be PPARγ agonists, but you might have to consume them by the bucket load to have any effect.

The attraction of Sytrinol is that it does have a measurable effect in realistic doses.  Sytrinol is sold as a product to lower cholesterol.  Tangeretin is a PPARγ agonist and you would expect a PPARγ agonist to improve insulin sensitivity and also reduce cholesterol. There are clinical trials showing this effect of Sytrinol.

Sytrinol (Tangeretin) Experiment

The most measurable effect of using Sytrinol for six weeks is that we no longer need any Ibuprofen.  It is measurable, since I am no longer needing to buy Ibuprofen any more.

About three days a week Monty’s assistant would need to give him Ibuprofen at school.  This all stopped, even though occasional complaints about wobbly teeth continue.

Nobody markets  Sytrinol (Tangeretin) as a painkiller.

Note:- Sytrinol capsules contain a blend of 270mg PMF (polymethoxylated flavones, consisting largely of tangeretin and nobiletin) + 30mg tocotrienols. Nobiletin is closely related to tangeretin, while tocotrienols are members of the vitamin E family.  All three should be good for you.

Tangeretin and Ibuprofen are both PPARγ agonists

The explanation for all this may indeed be that Tangeretin and Ibuprofen are both PPARγ agonists.  Inhibiting COX-2 may have been irrelevant.

Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptors α and γ Are Activated by Indomethacin andOther Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs

  

It may be that by regulating the anti-inflammatory genes, via  PPARγ, the Sytrinol has countered the “flare-up” caused by the spike in IL-6.

Anyway, in the earlier post we did see that research shows that dissolving milk teeth is signalled via increased IL-6 and we do know that increased IL-6, caused by allergies, can trigger worsening autism. 

So it does make sense, at least to me.

Regular uses of Sytrinol/Tangeretin looks a much safer bet than any NSAID.

If anyone tries it, particularly those who regularly use NSAIDs, let us all know.

PPARγ and Epilepsy

If you Google PPARγ and autism you will soon end up back at this blog.

For any sceptics, better to Google PPARγ and Epilepsy.  Epilepsy looks to be the natural progression of un-treated classic autism.  If this progression can be prevented, that should be big news.

Prevention is always better than a cure.  All kinds of conditions appear to be preventable, or at least you can minimize their incidence.  

Here are just the ones I have stumbled upon while researching autism:- Asthma  (Ketotifen), type 2 diabetes (Verapamil), prostate cancer (Lycopene) and many types of cancer (Sulforaphane).

There are of course types of epilepsy unconnected to autism, but epilepsy, seizures and electrical activity are highly comorbid with classic autism

PPARgamma, Epilepsy and Therapeutics

Abstract

Approximately 30% of people with epilepsy do not achieve adequate seizure control with current anti-seizure drugs (ASDs). This medically refractory population has severe seizure phenotypes and is at greatest risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Therefore, there is an urgent need for detailed studies identifying new therapeutic targets with potential disease-modifying outcomes. Studies indicate that the refractory epileptic brain is chronically inflamed with persistent mitochondrial dysfunction. Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that both factors can increase the excitability of epileptic networks and exacerbate seizure frequency and severity in a pathological cycle. Thus, effective disease-modifying interventions will most likely interrupt this loop. The nuclear transcription factor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARy) regulates genes in anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and mitochondrial pathways. Preliminary experiments in chronically epileptic mice indicate impressive anti-seizure efficacy. We hypothesize that (i) activation of brain PPARy in epileptic animals will have disease modifying effects that provide long-term benefits, and (ii) determining PPARy mechanisms will reveal additional therapeutic targets. Using a mouse model of developmental epilepsy, we propose to (1) elucidate the cellular, synaptic and network mechanisms by which PPARy activation restores normal excitability;(2) demonstrate the significant contribution of mitochondrial health in pathologic synaptic activity in epileptic brain;(3) demonstrate inflammatory regulation of PPARy in epileptic brain;and (4) determine whether PPARy activation extends the lifespan of severely epileptic animals. The proposed studies, spanning in vivo and in vitro systems using a combination of techniques in molecular biology, electrophysiology, microscopy, bioenergetics and pharmacology, will provide insight into the interplay of seizures, mitochondria, inflammation and homeostatic mechanisms. The results will have tremendous, immediate translational potential because PPARy agonists are currently used for clinical treatment of Type II Diabetes. PPARy is under investigation as treatment for a wide variety of other neurological diseases with cell death and inflammation as common denominators;therefore, the results of this proposal will have a broad impact.

Public Health Relevance

Approximately 30% of people with epilepsy do not achieve adequate seizure control with current anti-seizure drugs (ASDs). This medically refractory population has severe seizure phenotypes and is at greatest risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Therefore, there is an urgent need for detailed studies identifying new therapeutic targets with potential disease- modifying outcomes.

Anticonvulsant potential of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ agonist pioglitazone in pentylenetetrazole-induced acute seizures and kindling in mice.

Activation of cerebral peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gamma exerts neuroprotection by inhibiting oxidative stress following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus.

Abstract

Status epilepticus (SE) can cause severe neuronal loss and oxidative damage. As peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) agonists possess antioxidative activity, we hypothesize that rosiglitazone, a PPARgamma agonist, might protect the central nervous system (CNS) from oxidative damage in epileptic rats. Using a lithium-pilocarpine-induced SE model, we found that rosiglitazone significantly reduced hippocampal neuronal loss 1 week after SE, potently suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. We also found that treatment with rosiglitazone enhanced antioxidative activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione hormone (GSH), together with decreased expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the hippocampus. The above effects of rosiglitazone can be blocked by co-treatment with PPARgamma antagonist T0070907. The current data suggest that rosiglitazone exerts a neuroprotective effect on oxidative stress-mediated neuronal damage followed by SE. Our data also support the idea that PPARgamma agonist might be a potential neuroprotective agent for epilepsy.

Possible involvement of PPAR-gamma receptor and nitric oxide pathway in theanticonvulsant effect of acute pioglitazone on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizuresin mice

CONCLUSION:

The present study demonstrates the anticonvulsant effect of acute pioglitazone on PTZ-induced seizures in mice. This effect was reversed by PPAR-γ antagonist, and both a specific- and a non-specific nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, and augmented by nitric oxide precursor, L-arginine. These results support that the anticonvulsant effect of pioglitazone is mediated through PPAR-γ receptor-mediated pathway and also, at least partly, through the nitric oxide pathway.

Note that elsewhere in this blog I have already highlighted that PPAR alpha agonists also seem to have an effect against epilepsy.  For example in this research:-

PPAR-alpha agonists as novel antiepileptic drugs: preclinical findings.

          

I was originally interested in PPAR-alpha, because of its role in regulating mast cells.  It seems that PPARγ also affects mast cells.

Activation of PPARγ  restores mast cell numbers and reactivity in all oxan-diabetic rats by reducing the systemic glucocorticoid levels

  

PPARγ modulators – drugs vs neutraceuticals vs functional food

It does seem that many people with inflammatory diseases, epilepsy, autism and even people who are obese, might greatly benefit from selective PPARγ agonists.

The choice would be between drugs, “nutraceuticals” and functional (good) food.

The drugs have not yet arrived that are safe and selective.  The current Thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of drugs TZDs tend to increase fat mass as well as improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in both lab animals and humans.

PPARγ as a metabolic regulator: insights from genomics and Pharmacology

Since its identification in the early 1990s, peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a nuclear hormone receptor, has attracted tremendous scientific and clinical interest. The role of PPARγ in macronutrient metabolism has received particular attention, for three main reasons: first, it is the target of the thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a novel class of insulin sensitisers widely used to treat type 2 diabetes; second, it plays a central role in adipogenesis; and third, it appears to be primarily involved in regulating lipid metabolism with predominantly secondary effects on carbohydrate metabolism, a notion in keeping with the currently in vogue ‘lipocentric’ view of diabetes. This review summarises in vitro studies suggesting that PPARγ is a master regulator of adipogenesis, and then considers in vivo findings from use of PPARγ agonists, knockout studies in mice and analysis of human PPARγ mutations/polymorphisms.

As usual there are numerous “natural substances” that may also modulate PPAR-γ

Modulation of PPAR-γ by Nutraceutics as Complementary Treatment for Obesity-Related Disorders and Inflammatory Diseases

A direct correlation between adequate nutrition and health is a universally accepted truth. The Western lifestyle, with a high intake of simple sugars, saturated fat, and physical inactivity, promotes pathologic conditions. The main adverse consequences range from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome to several cancers. Dietary components influence tissue homeostasis in multiple ways and many different functional foods have been associated with various health benefits when consumed. Natural products are an important and promising source for drug discovery. Many anti-inflammatory natural products activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR); therefore, compounds that activate or modulate PPAR-gamma (PPAR-γ) may help to fight all of these pathological conditions. Consequently, the discovery and optimization of novel PPAR-γ agonists and modulators that would display reduced side effects is of great interest. In this paper, we present some of the main naturally derived products studied that exert an influence on metabolism through the activation or modulation of PPAR-γ, and we also present PPAR-γ-related diseases that can be complementarily treated with nutraceutics from functional foods.

Conclusion

If you are one of those people successfully using NSAIDs, like Ibuprofen, to reduce autistic behaviors, you might well be in the group that would benefit from Sytrinol/Tangeretin.

If NSAIDs never help resolve your autism flare-ups, Sytrinol/Tangeretin may not help either.

Tangeretin does appear to have other effects, beyond not needing to use Ibuprofen.  It was found to be a potent antagonist at P2Y2 receptors.

Suramin is another potent P2Y2 antagonist and Suramin is showing a lot of promise in Robert Naviaux’s autism studies at the University of California at San Diego.  Suramin is not viewed as safe for regular use in humans.