Buphenyl For Parkinson's Disease

Online, June 17, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Buphenyl® Prevents Progression of Parkinson's Disease in Mice

A new study shows that Buphenyl®, an FDA-approved medication for hyperammonemia, may prevent the progression of Parkinson's disease.

Scientists at Rush University Medical Center (Chicago) have tested sodium phenylbutyrate, known as Buphenyl® in US Pharmacies, in mice with Parkinson's disease (PD) and found that this drug protects brain cells and halts the disease. Results of the study were published in the Public Library of Sciences (PLoS) ONE, June 2012.

"Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are two hallmarks of neurodegenerative disorders like PD. Interestingly, Buphenyl shows both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities" said Kalipada Pahan, Floyd A. Davis Professor of Neurology at the Rush University Medical Center. Other researchers at Rush involved in this study were Drs. Avik Roy, Anamitra Ghosh and Arundhati Jana.

The authors have shown that activities of p21Ras and p21Rac proteins are increased very early in the brain of mice with PD pathology. "Interestingly, after oral feeding, Buphenyl blocks the activity of p21Ras and p21Rac proteins and associated inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, protects neurons, normalizes neurotransmitter levels, and improves motor functions in mice with PD", Dr. Pahan said.

"We have discovered two more drugs, which could be useful for PD. These are chemical inhibitors of p21Ras and p21Rac proteins that also protect neurotransmitters and improve motor functions in mice with PD" Dr. Pahan said.

This research was supported by a grant from National Institutes of Health to Dr. Pahan. "Now we need to test Buphenyl® and chemical inhibitors of p21Ras and p21Rac in PD patients. If these results are replicated in PD patients, it would open up a promising avenue of treatment of this devastating neurodegenerative disease," Dr. Pahan said.

Parkinson's is a slowly progressive disease that affects a small area of cells within the mid-brain known as the substantia nigra. Gradual degeneration of these cells causes a reduction in a vital chemical neurotransmitter, dopamine. The decrease in dopamine results in one or more of the classic signs of Parkinson's disease that includes: resting tremor on one side of the body; generalized slowness of movement; stiffness of limbs; and gait or balance problems.

The cause of the disease is unknown. Both environmental and genetic causes of the disease have been postulated.
Parkinson's disease affects about 1.2 million patients in the United States and Canada. Although 15 percent of patients are diagnosed before age 50, it is generally considered a disease that targets older adults, affecting one of every 100 persons over the age of 60. This disease appears to be slightly more common in men than women.