Losing weight against multiple sclerosis

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MunichObesity damages the body enormously - if you carry too many fat deposits with you, you risk high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or joint damage. But the development of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) can also be favored by excess pounds. Conversely, does this also mean that losing weight reduces the risk and alleviates the symptoms of an existing illness? Apparently yes, now shows an experimental study.

MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own defense cells attack the nerve fibers, trigger inflammation and destroy the nerves - and this affects the transmission of nerve impulses. As a result, those affected suffer from symptoms of paralysis or impaired sensation and vision. The disease is triggered by various factors - one of which is obesity. An American research team led by Dr. Anne Cross from the University of St. Louis in an experiment with mice.

Thin rodents did not become ill

To do this, the scientists examined rodents that they had previously vaccinated with myelin proteins. This led to so-called autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the animals - a disease that is similar to MS in humans. As part of these tests, the researchers found that some mice did not develop EAE despite being vaccinated: those that could not eat properly due to broken teeth and were therefore thinner.

The scientists then examined more closely whether the disease did not break out because the animals were thinner than the others. To do this, they divided the test rodents into two groups: one that received 40 percent less to eat and a control group that received the usual food ration. It turned out that a diet was beneficial for the mice: despite the myelin vaccination, these animals did not develop EAE - or at least significantly weaker symptoms.

Good hormones, bad hormones

The researchers also found a mechanism for this effect: According to them, the diet mice had reduced leptin levels and increased levels of a substance called adiponectin. Both leptin and adiponectin are adipose tissue hormones and are produced in fat cells. Leptin is increasingly released when the fat stores are full - for example if you are overweight. Adiponectin, on the other hand, is produced more when the fat stores are empty. In contrast to adiponectin, however, leptin has a negative influence on the body's defense cells and can cause the so-called T cells to turn against the body. Adiponectin, however, defuses this process.

Cross and her team were able to prove in another test that adiponectin prevents EAE in the test mice. Mice given adiponectin did not develop EAE - those who did not have this substance because they lacked the corresponding gene became seriously ill. According to the researchers, it can be deduced from these results that MS patients suffer less from their disease when they lose weight.

MS is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nervous system that usually begins in early adulthood. Nationwide there are around 130,000 people with MS - women are affected about twice as often as men. (jb)

Source: Piccio L. et al .: “Lack of adiponectin leads to increased lymphocyte activation and increased disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.”; European Journal of Immunology. 07/10/2014.

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