Source: Thomas Jefferson University     Released: Mon 28-Nov-2005,
15:40 ET

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Over-the-Counter Arthritis Drug Might Help Against MS
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Glucosamine, the over-the counter natural product that has been touted
to help with joint and cartilage problems associated with arthritis,
may also provide some relief to individuals with multiple sclerosis
(MS).

Newswise - Glucosamine, the over-the counter natural product that has
been touted to help with joint and cartilage problems associated with
arthritis, may also provide some relief to individuals with multiple
sclerosis (MS), a degenerative, nervous system disease with no known
cure.

Using a mouse model of MS, neurologists at Jefferson Medical College
found that doses of glucosamine similar to those taken for
osteoarthritis dramatically delayed the onset of symptoms and improved
the animals' ability to move and walk.

The scientists, led by A. M. Rostami, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair
of the Department of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas
Jefferson University and the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience in
Philadelphia, and Guang-Xian Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of
neurology at Jefferson Medical College, say the treatment's
anti-inflammatory effects may be useful in conjunction with more
mainstream therapies such as beta-interferon in helping patients with
MS to delay or perhaps stave off some of the debilitating effects of
the disease. They report their findings in the December 1, 2005 of The
Journal of Immunology.

"It would be fantastic if glucosamine works in humans because we have
a product that has a long track record for safety, and most
importantly, can be given orally," says Dr. Rostami, who is also
director of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory in the Department of
Neurology at Jefferson Medical College. He notes that current
treatments for MS are given by injection. He hopes to test glucosamine
in clinical trials in the near future.

MS, one of the most common neurological diseases affecting young
adults, is thought to be an autoimmune disease (in which the body
attacks its own tissue) affecting the central nervous system (CNS). In
MS, the myelin coating of nerve fibers becomes inflamed and scarred. As
a result, "messages" cannot be sent through the nervous system.

Dr. Rostami and his group used an animal model of MS called
experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which mimics the human
disease, to investigate glucosamine's potential immune
system-suppressing properties. Such animals gradually develop the
disease.

In the studies, some of the mice received glucosamine, while others did
not.

They gave glucosamine to the mice three ways: orally, intraperitoneally
and intravenously. They also tested the drug in one set of animals
before the onset of symptoms, and in another group at the time the
animals began to show symptoms.

In each case, the researchers showed they could significantly prolong
the onset of disease. That is, those animals that got glucosamine took
longer to get ill and once they became ill, the disease was much less
severe. It was just as effective when given early in the disease or
when the animals became sick.

They examined the animals' spinal cords and found less inflammation
and "demyelination" in those that were given glucosamine.

"As a therapy, it might be used in combination with other proven
treatments, such as beta-interferon and copaxone," says Dr. Rostami.

The research team has some ideas of how glucosamine exerts its effects.
According to Dr. Rostami, EAE and MS are caused by abnormal responses
from the immune system's T cells. There are two types: TH1, which
promotes inflammation, and TH2, which is anti-inflammatory. "We've
shown the glucosamine modulates the immune response by producing more
TH2 responses, suppressing brain inflammation," he says. "At the
same time, it suppresses TH1 response."

The researchers currently are testing the effectiveness of combinations
of glucosamine and standard drugs for MS in the same mouse model to
look for adverse effects. They are also trying to find out if
glucosamine can suppress the relapses in the relapsing/remitting form
of the disease.

Relapsing/remitting is the most common form of MS. Patients experience
clearly defined "flare-ups," acute episodes in which neurological
functions worsen, followed by partial or complete recovery periods.

Over 400,000 Americans acknowledge having MS; however, many
neurologists believe that nearly one million Americans are living with
MS in the United States today. Symptoms can include fatigue, loss of
coordination, muscle weakness, numbness, inability to walk or use hands
and arms, pain, vision problems, slurred speech, decline in the ability
to think and reason, and bladder/bowel dysfunction.

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<<snip>>
The results indicated that these complexes could be used in eliminating
the
excess iron(III) in living organisms.
<<snip>>

J Inorg Biochem. 2002 Apr 28;89(3-4):212-8.  Related Articles, Links

Aqueous and solid complexes of iron(III) with hyaluronic acid.
Potentiometric
titrations and infrared spectroscopy studies.

Merce AL, Marques Carrera LC, Santos Romanholi LK, Lobo Recio MA.

Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal do Parana, CP 19081,
Centro
Politecnico, Curitiba, 81531-990, Brazil. aname...@quimica.ufpr.br

The coordination of iron(III) ion to hyaluronic acid (Hyal) in aqueous
solutions and solid state was accomplished by potentiometric titrations
and
infrared spectroscopy. The potentiometric titration studies provided
the
binding constants for the complexes found in the systems and the
speciation of
these species according to the variation of pH values. The complexes
found
presented a complexing ability through both the chelating moieties of
Hyal (via
the N-glucosamine and D-glucoronic acid), showing no special preference
for
either one while in solid state, but when in aqueous solution the
complexation
via the N-glucosamine moiety was the preferred, forming two complexed
species,
ML and ML(2) (log K(ML)=8.2 and log K(ML2)=7.9). The presence of a
mu-oxo
complex via the D-glucoronic acid was also detected in both aqueous
(log K=6.7)
and solid states via the N-glucosamine and D-glucoronic acid
simultaneously
linked to two Hyal chains. A structure for this latter complex was
suggested.
The results indicated that these complexes could be used in eliminating
the
excess iron(III) in living organisms.

PMID: 12062125 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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