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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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