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Administering a
combination of the supplement creatine and the antibiotic
minocycline slows the progression of Lou Gehrig’s disease
in mice more effectively than either compound alone.
Previous studies
have shown that independently, creatine and minocycline improve
outcomes of the disease, but this study is the first to test
a combination of the two.
The study found
minocycline injections delayed onset of the disease by 113
days and creatine supplements by 111 days, compared with 94
days in the untreated group. However, a combination of minocycline
and creatine delayed disease onset 122 days and the mice survived
for an average of 157 days--a 25 percent improvement in survival
compared to the untreated mice.
Lou Gehrig’s
disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a progressive
and fatal neurological disease affecting nerve cells that
control movement. More than 5,000 Americans are diagnosed
with ALS each year.
In 1999, creatine,
an amino acid found naturally in meats and fish, was found
to work better in the treatment of ALS in mice than prescription
drug riluzole. Mice that were given creatine lived about 18
percent longer than mice with unsupplemented diets, while
mice taking riluzole lived about nine percent longer.
Exactly how creatine
works to slow the progression of ALS in mice is not known,
but one hypothesis is that creatine may improve neurons' energy
supply, making them more resistant to degeneration.
Minocycline is
an antibiotic used to treat a variety of infections, acne
and rheumatoid arthritis. Previous studies have shown that
minocycline has neuroprotective effects on ALS mice, and also
protects neurons from dying in animal models of Huntington's
disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury,
and a variety of other disorders.
The role of minocycline
in ALS may be linked to mitochondria, tiny compartments within
cells that break down food and produce energy. It is thought
that problems in mitochondria lead to the death of nerve cells
controlling movement in ALS mice, and minocycline makes the
mitochondria more resistant to changes that may cause cell
death. Additionally, minocycline appears to block the reactivity
of microglia, immune cells in the brain that release toxic
compounds due to ALS.
Further research
is being conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of
creatine and minocycline. Although extremely high doses of
creatine can cause kidney problems, no other significant negative
side effects have been seen with either compound.
National
Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke January
31, 2003
Annals
of Neurology February 2003;53(2):267-70
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