Ruhr-University Bochum
on January 25, 2023
In laboratory tests, researchers from St. Josef Hospital Bochum have shown that propionate, the salt of a short-chain fatty acid, can protect nerves and help with their regeneration. The findings might be useful for treating autoimmune diseases in which nerve cells are damaged, such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Propionate is formed naturally in the gut when fiber is broken down. In previous studies, a team from the same department at St. Josef Hospital Bochum, a clinic at the Ruhr University in Bochum, had already demonstrated that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a propionate deficiency and can benefit from additional propionate intake. Accordingly, the substance might also be useful for patients with CIDP.
The results were published by a group led by Dr. Thomas Grüter and private lecturer Dr. Kalliopi Pitarokoili from the Neurological University Clinic at St. Josef Hospital (Head Prof. Dr. Ralf Gold), in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” on January 20, 2023.
Propionate reduces cell death in cell culture experiments
People with CIDP experience sensory disturbances, muscle weakness, and pain. The cause of the condition is not fully understood. The immune system attacks the nerves in the arms and legs. The nerve sheath, an insulating sheath around the nerve cells, is broken down and the cells eventually die. “Currently available drugs are very expensive and primarily affect the immune system,” says Thomas Grüter. “A neuroprotective and regenerative therapy is not yet available.”
In the current study, Thomas Grüter’s team investigated the protective effect of propionate in cell cultures and animal experiments. The group isolated the two main cell types in the peripheral nervous system from rats: nerve cells and Schwann cells; the latter form the sheathing of the nerve cells.
The scientists cultivated the two cell types separately and exposed them to oxidative stress, which usually leads to damage to the cells. The team treated some cell cultures with propionate and compared the effects with untreated cultures. Significantly fewer cells died in the treated cultures. In addition, the cells grew better following the treatment than without the propionate administration. These results were confirmed in animal experiments: After taking propionate, the nerve cells were better protected once morest oxidative damage.
Insights into mechanism of action
The researchers also gained new insights into the mechanism of propionate action. They showed that the substance addresses the FFAR3 receptor on the surface of nerve cells and Schwann cells and also influences the reading of DNA via histone molecules. This produces new enzymes and proteins that protect once morest harmful influences and help to repair damage.
Background: Studies with MS patients showed positive effects of propionate
Results from earlier studies with MS patients gave the Bochum researchers the idea that propionate might have a beneficial effect on CIDP patients. The working group around Prof. Dr. Aiden Haghikia had shown that taking propionate in people with multiple sclerosis had an anti-inflammatory effect and reduced the rate of relapses.
