Instead of stopping to smell the flowers, scientists suggest stopping to smell your farts.
While the thought may be enough to turn your stomach, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say that the gas behind the foul, rotten-egg odor, known as hydrogen sulfide, may help protect aging brain cells from Alzheimer’s disease.
While the smelly gas is highly toxic in large quantities, smaller doses can provide some serious health benefits, Johns Hopkins researchers noted in a study published in an issue of Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
“Our new data firmly link aging, neurodegeneration and cell signaling with the use of hydrogen sulfide and other gaseous molecules in the cell,” said the study’s lead scientist, Dr. Bindu Paul.
The human body naturally creates small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which helps regulate functions throughout the body. Gases can facilitate cellular messages to the brain.
Scientists suggest that smelling the rotten egg odor that often accompanies flatulence may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Hydrogen sulfide modifies target proteins through a process called chemical sulfhydration, according to co-author Dr. Solomon Snyder.
The levels of sulfhydration in the brain decrease with age, the scientists said, noting that the tendency has a greater presence in Alzheimer’s patients.
“Here, using the same method, we now confirm a decrease in sulfhydration in the AD brain,” said collaborator Dr. Milos Filipovic.
As part of the study, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists looked at mice that were genetically modified to mimic human Alzheimer’s disease.
The mice were injected with a hydrogen sulfide-carrying compound called NaGYY, which slowly released passenger hydrogen sulfide molecules throughout the body. The mice were tested for changes in memory and motor function over a period of 12 weeks.
Behavioral tests on mice showed that hydrogen sulfide improved cognitive and motor function by 50 percent compared to mice that did not receive the injections.
The mice that received the treatment were better able to remember the editing locations of the platform and appeared more physically active than the mice that had simulated Alzheimer’s disease but did not receive the treatment.
“The results showed that the behavioral results of Alzheimer’s disease can be reversed by the introduction of hydrogen sulfide, but the researchers wanted to investigate how the brain reacted chemically to the gas molecule,” Johns Hopkins Medicine wrote in a press release about the study.
Levels of sulfhydration in the brain decrease with age, scientists said, noting that the trend has a greater presence in Alzheimer’s patients (Getty/iStock)
A series of experiments showed a change to a common enzyme called glycogen synthase β (GSK3β). When there are healthy levels of hydrogen sulfide, GSK3β acts as a signaling molecule.
The researchers found that in the absence of hydrogen sulfide, GSK3β is overly attracted to another protein in the brain called Tau.
When GSK3β and Tau interact, Tau causes clumps inside nerve cells. As those clumps grow, tangled proteins block communication between nerves, eventually causing them to die, according to the researchers.
“This leads to the deterioration and eventual loss of cognition, memory and motor function that is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease,” said the press release.
“Understanding the cascade of events is important for designing therapies that can block this interaction as hydrogen sulfide is able to do,” said Ph.D student Daniel Giovinazzo, first author of the study.
Until just a few years ago, researchers did not have the tools to mimic how the body makes small quantities of hydrogen sulfide inside cells.
“The compound used in this study does this and shows that by correcting brain levels of hydrogen sulfide, we can successfully reverse some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease,” said collaborator Dr. Matt Whiteman.