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Brain–Periphery Interactions in Huntington’s Disease: Mediators and Lifestyle Interventions

Authors :
Johannes Burtscher
Barbara Strasser
Giuseppe Pepe
Martin Burtscher
Martin Kopp
Alba Di Pardo
Vittorio Maglione
Andy V. Khamoui
Source :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 25, Iss 9, p 4696 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Prominent pathological features of Huntington’s disease (HD) are aggregations of mutated Huntingtin protein (mHtt) in the brain and neurodegeneration, which causes characteristic motor (such as chorea and dystonia) and non-motor symptoms. However, the numerous systemic and peripheral deficits in HD have gained increasing attention recently, since those factors likely modulate disease progression, including brain pathology. While whole-body metabolic abnormalities and organ-specific pathologies in HD have been relatively well described, the potential mediators of compromised inter-organ communication in HD have been insufficiently characterized. Therefore, we applied an exploratory literature search to identify such mediators. Unsurprisingly, dysregulation of inflammatory factors, circulating mHtt, and many other messenger molecules (hormones, lipids, RNAs) were found that suggest impaired inter-organ communication, including of the gut–brain and muscle–brain axis. Based on these findings, we aimed to assess the risks and potentials of lifestyle interventions that are thought to improve communication across these axes: dietary strategies and exercise. We conclude that appropriate lifestyle interventions have great potential to reduce symptoms and potentially modify disease progression (possibly via improving inter-organ signaling) in HD. However, impaired systemic metabolism and peripheral symptoms warrant particular care in the design of dietary and exercise programs for people with HD.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
25094696, 14220067, and 16616596
Volume :
25
Issue :
9
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.fa664a9535894977a22ac1a6be20f4ae
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094696