100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
Previously searched by you
Previously searched by you
logo
Biology of Disease Vitamin A and Alzheimers £15.99
Add to cart
Quickly navigate to
Preview
  2.  
  3. Keele University (KU)
  4.  
  5. LSC-30015 Biology of Disease ISP (LSC30015)

Essay

Biology of Disease Vitamin A and Alzheimers
 0 purchase

Essay on vitamin A and the prevention of alzheimers, including an appraisal of current research on the topic, attaining a mark of 90%. First class essay on neuroscience and biology of the brain.

Preview 3 out of 21  pages

Document information

  • January 19, 2025
  • 21
  • 2021/2022
  • Essay
  • Unknown
  • A+

Subjects

Written for

All documents for this subject (1)

Seller

avatar-seller
elsiebelsy

Content preview

What is the role of
Vitamin A in
Alzheimer’s
Disease?
BIOLOGY OF DISEASE LSC-30015
19002410

,Contents

Abstract....................................................................................................................................................... 1
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 2
1.1 Mechanisms and Hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease...........................................................................2

1.2 Vitamin A and its Metabolites............................................................................................................ 5

2. Discussion................................................................................................................................................ 8
2.1 Vitamin A and the development of Alzheimer’s.................................................................................8

2.2 VA and the control of gene expression............................................................................................... 9

2.3 How VA can influence neuronal cell differentiation..........................................................................10

2.4 Vitamin A in the Diet........................................................................................................................ 10

2.5 Vitamin A as an Antioxidant............................................................................................................. 11

2.6 Therapeutic potential of VA............................................................................................................. 13

3. Conclusions............................................................................................................................................ 14
Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................... 14
References................................................................................................................................................. 15
Table of figures:

Figure 1. How tau pathology can cause neuronal cell death via tau aggregation. Under non-pathological
conditions, tau stabilises microtubules of axons necessary for nutrient distribution within the cell.
Otherwise, oxidative stress and the activity of tau kinases cause rapid accumulation of misfolded tau,
which exhibits neurotoxicity within the intracellular space of the neuron and eventual death of the cell
(Saito et al., 2021)........................................................................................................................................ 3
Figure 2 The sources and role of Vitamin A in neural differentiation, oxidative stress and gene regulation
that prevent against AD pathology and the progression of disease. Preformed VA comes from animal
products whereas provitamin A carotenoids are derived from plant products and must be converted to VA
(Rai et al., 2021)........................................................................................................................................... 7




Abstract

There is evidence in literature to suggest a relationship between lower Vitamin A (VA)-
retinol, retinal and retinoic acid (RA)- concentrations and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s
Disease (AD). Hypovitaminosis can be categorised into primary VA deficiency- prolonged
deprivation of VA- and secondary VA deficiency, whereby the vitamin is not stored or
absorbed correctly. As VA is thought to provide a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AD, the

1

, intake of VA in the diet has been found to lessen symptoms of neurodegeneration and slow-
or even reverse- AD as it progresses. So far, existing literature on the role of VA in AD
mainly focuses on its effects in animal models, or fails to address how far VA reduces the
likelihood of neurodegenerative disease compared to other prevailing issues such as genetic
predisposition and the inheritance of risk-associated isoforms. Although AD is commonly
associated with the elderly, the availability of VA in utero has been speculated to impact on
the likelihood of developing AD in later life. Collectively, gene expression, oxidative stress
and buildup of neurotoxic plaque contribute to the neurodegenerative pathway, whereby, the
early use of retinoic acid as a therapeutic strategy could be one way to improve, delay or
prevent symptoms and thus reduce the occurrence and progression of AD.




1. Introduction

1.1 Mechanisms and Hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in adults over 65, accounting
for approximately two-thirds of diagnoses and 7.7 million new cases each year (Brito-
Aguilar, 2019). As a subset of neurodegenerative diseases, AD is a type of tauopathy, defined
by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated tau that can spread to
the hippocampus and impact memory formation and retention. This is mainly due to two
cysteine residues within the structure of tau that can form both intramolecular and
intermolecular disulfide bonds with other protein structures in the brain (Walker et al., 2012).
This aggregation causes neurofibrillary tangles to form, which are neurotoxic and lead
directly to the death of neurons (Figure 1).




2

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller elsiebelsy. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for £15.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

71241 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 15 years now

Start selling

Recently viewed by you

Exam (elaborations) ·

(0)

FL Practice Exam Questions and Answers 2025

Exam (elaborations) ·

(0)

LCSW exam 2023/2024 with 100% correct answers

Exam (elaborations) ·

(1)

Electrician NCCER Questions and Answers 100%

Exam (elaborations) ·

(0)

ITP 150 (BROWN ITP 150) Questions And Answers

Exam (elaborations) ·

(1)

MN 551 UNIT 3 & 4 QUIZ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Exam (elaborations) ·

(0)

FLS Modules Exam Questions and Answers 2025

Summary ·

(0)

Samenvatting staatsrecht onderwijsgroepen (6)

Exam (elaborations) ·

(0)

CCEP Set 4 Questions and Answers 100% Solved

Summary ·

(0)

Samenvatting Patrimoniumdocumentatie Deel 2
£15.99
  • (0)
Add to cart
Added