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Dietary exposure to an environmental toxin triggers neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits in the brain
Cox PA, Davis DA, Mash DC, Metcalf JS, Banack SA.. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2016-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and β-amyloid plaques are the neurological hallmarks of both Alzheimer's disease and an unusual paralytic illness suffered by Chamorro villagers on the Pacific island of Guam. Many Chamorros with the disease suffer dementia, and in some villages one-quarter of the adults perished from the disease. Like Alzheimer's, the causal factors of Guamanian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC) are poorly understood. In replicated experiments, we found that chronic dietary exposure to a cyanobacterial toxin present in the traditional Chamorro diet, β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), triggers the formation of both NFT and β-amyloid deposits similar in structure and density to those found in brain tissues of Chamorros who died with ALS/PDC. Vervets (Chlorocebus sabaeus) fed for 140 days with BMAA-dosed fruit developed NFT and sparse β-amyloid deposits in the brain. Co-administration of the dietary amino acid l-serine with l-BMAA significantly reduced the density of NFT. These findings indicate that while chronic exposure to the environmental toxin BMAA can trigger neurodegeneration in vulnerable individuals, increasing the amount of l-serine in the diet can reduce the risk.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cox, P. A., Davis, D. A., Mash, D. C., Metcalf, J. S., & Banack, S. A. (2016). Dietary exposure to an environmental toxin triggers neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits in the brain. Proceedings. Biological sciences. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.2397
Vancouver
Cox PA, Davis DA, Mash DC, Metcalf JS, Banack SA. Dietary exposure to an environmental toxin triggers neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits in the brain. Proceedings. Biological sciences. 2016. doi:10.1098/rspb.2015.2397. PMID: 26791617.
BibTeX
@article{cox2016-26791617,
author = {Cox, P. A. and Davis, D. A. and Mash, D. C. and Metcalf, J. S. and Banack, S. A.},
title = {{Dietary exposure to an environmental toxin triggers neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits in the brain}},
journal = {Proceedings. Biological sciences},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1098/rspb.2015.2397},
pmid = {26791617},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.2397}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- In replicated experiments, we found that chronic dietary exposure to a cyanobacterial toxin present in the traditional Chamorro diet, β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), triggers the formation of both NFT and β-amyloid deposits similar in structure and density to those found in brain tissues of Chamorros who died with ALS/PDC.
- Co-administration of the dietary amino acid l-serine with l-BMAA significantly reduced the density of NFT.
- These findings indicate that while chronic exposure to the environmental toxin BMAA can trigger neurodegeneration in vulnerable individuals, increasing the amount of l-serine in the diet can reduce the risk.
Why it matters
In experiments with vervets fed a cyanobacterial toxin for 140 days, the animals developed neurofibrillary tangles and sparse β-amyloid deposits, and co-administration of l-serine significantly reduced the density of tangles. This is animal research suggesting that an environmental toxin can trigger neurodegeneration and that l-serine in the diet can reduce the risk, not a proven treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease in people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 44 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 46 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Proceedings. Biological sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 255 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 21.2 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 25.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 30 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Sandra Anne Banack: h-index 44 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Miami: institution h-index 998 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26791617) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 44 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 44 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 46 out of 100. |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2397
- PubMed: 26791617
- Original source →
- Free full text: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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