scholarly journals Effect of Levodopa Initiation on the Gut Microbiota in Parkinson's Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Palacios ◽  
Anas Hannoun ◽  
Julie Flahive ◽  
Doyle Ward ◽  
Kelsey Goostrey ◽  
...  

Background: The impact of Levodopa on the gut microbiota of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients has not been sufficiently addressed.Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study to examine the impact of Levodopa initiation on the gut microbiota composition of 19 PD patients who had not previously been exposed to Levodopa. Patients provided two stool samples prior to and two samples 90 days after starting Levodopa. Motor impairment (MDS-UPDRS Part III), diet, and other patient characteristics were assessed. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to characterize the microbiota. We examined, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, the associations between Levodopa use and alpha and beta diversity and performed feature-wise, multivariate modeling to identify taxa associated longitudinally with Levodopa use and with improvement in motor function after Levodopa administration.Results: We did not observe significant differences in alpha or beta diversity before vs. after initiation of Levodopa. In longitudinal feature-wise analyses, at the genus level, no taxa were significantly associated with Levodopa use after false discovery rate (FDR) correction (q < 0.05). We observed a marginally lower relative abundance of bacteria belonging to Clostridium group IV in PD patients who experienced a medium or large improvement in motor impairment in response to Levodopa compared to those with a small response [β = −0.64 (SE: 0.18), p-trend: 0.00015 p-FDR: 0.019].Conclusions: In this study, Levodopa was not associated with changes in microbiota composition in this longitudinal analysis. The association between abundance of Clostridium group IV and short-term motor symptom response to Levodopa is preliminary and should be investigated in larger, longer-term studies, that include a control group.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 5698
Author(s):  
Barbara Zapała ◽  
Tomasz Stefura ◽  
Magdalena Wójcik-Pędziwiatr ◽  
Radosław Kabut ◽  
Marta Bałajewicz-Nowak ◽  
...  

Gut microbiome and colonic inflammation can be associated with the predisposition and progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The presented study aimed to compare gastrointestinal microbiota composition between patients diagnosed with PD and treated only with Levodopa to healthy controls. In this prospective study, patients were recruited in 1 academic hospital from July 2019 to July 2020. The detailed demographic data and medical history were collected using a set of questionnaires. Fecal samples were obtained from all participants. Next-Generation Sequencing was used to assess the microbiota composition. The endpoint was the difference in composition of the gut microbiota. In this study, we enrolled 27 hospitalized PD patients with well-controlled symptoms. The control group included 44 healthy subjects matched for age. Among PD patients, our results presented a higher abundance of Bacteroides phylum, class Corynebacteria among phylum Actinobacteria, class Deltaproteobacteria among phylum Proteobacteria, and genera such as Butyricimonas, Robinsoniella, and Flavonifractor. The species Akkermansia muciniphila, Eubacterium biforme, and Parabacteroides merdae were identified as more common in the gut microbiota of PD patients. In conclusion, the patients diagnosed with PD have significantly different gut microbiota profiles in comparison with healthy controls.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1616
Author(s):  
Natalia S. Rozas ◽  
Gena D. Tribble ◽  
Cameron B. Jeter

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are at increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, their primary cause of death. Their oral microbiota differs from healthy controls, exacerbating this risk. Our goal was to explore if poor oral health, poor oral hygiene, and dysphagia status affect the oral microbiota composition of these patients. In this cross-sectional case-control study, the oral microbiota from hard and soft tissues of patients with PD (n = 30) and age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls (n = 30) was compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing for bacterial identification. Study participants completed dietary, oral hygiene, drooling, and dysphagia questionnaires, and an oral health screening. Significant differences in soft tissue beta-diversity (p < 0.005) were found, and a higher abundance of opportunistic oral pathogens was detected in patients with PD. Factors that significantly influenced soft tissue beta-diversity and microbiota composition include dysphagia, drooling (both p < 0.05), and salivary pH (p < 0.005). Thus, patients with PD show significant differences in their oral microbiota compared to the controls, which may be due, in part, to dysphagia, drooling, and salivary pH. Understanding factors that alter their oral microbiota could lead to the development of diagnostic and treatment strategies that improve the quality of life and survivability of these patients.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 314
Author(s):  
Aida Arroyo-Ferrer ◽  
Francisco José Sánchez-Cuesta ◽  
Yeray González-Zamorano ◽  
María Dolores del Castillo ◽  
Carolina Sastre-Barrios ◽  
...  

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. This disease is characterized by motor symptoms, such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Although balance impairment is characteristic of advanced stages, it can be present with less intensity since the beginning of the disease. Approximately 60% of PD patients fall once a year and 40% recurrently. On the other hand, cognitive symptoms affect up to 20% of patients with PD in early stages and can even precede the onset of motor symptoms. There are cognitive requirements for balance and can be challenged when attention is diverted or reduced, linking a worse balance and a higher probability of falls with a slower cognitive processing speed and attentional problems. Cognitive rehabilitation of attention and processing speed can lead to an improvement in postural stability in patients with Parkinson’s. Methods: We present a parallel and controlled randomized clinical trial (RCT) to assess the impact on balance of a protocol based on cognitive rehabilitation focused on sustained attention through the NeuronUP platform (Neuronup SI, La Rioja, Spain) in patients with PD. For 4 weeks, patients in the experimental group will receive cognitive therapy three days a week while the control group will not receive any therapy. The protocol has been registered at trials.gov NCT04730466. Conclusions: Cognitive therapy efficacy on balance improvement may open the possibility of new rehabilitation strategies for prevention of falls in PD, reducing morbidity, and saving costs to the health care system.


Author(s):  
Sofia Ainonen ◽  
Mysore V Tejesvi ◽  
Md. Rayhan Mahmud ◽  
Niko Paalanne ◽  
Tytti Pokka ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) is widely used, but the evidence of the long-term effects on the gut microbiota and subsequent health of children is limited. Here, we compared the impacts of perinatal antibiotic exposure and later courses of antibiotic courses on gut microbiota. Methods This was a prospective, controlled cohort study among 100 vaginally delivered infants with different perinatal antibiotic exposures: control (27), IAP (27), postnatal antibiotics (24), and IAP and postnatal antibiotics (22). At 1 year of age, we performed next-generation sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene of fecal samples. Results Exposure to the perinatal antibiotics had a clear impact on the gut microbiota. The abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum was significantly higher in the control group, whereas the relative abundance of Escherichia coli was significantly lower in the control group. The impact of the perinatal antibiotics on the gut microbiota composition was greater than exposure to later courses of antibiotics (28% of participants). Conclusions Perinatal antibiotic exposure had a marked impact on the gut microbiota at the age of 1 year. The timing of the antibiotic exposure appears to be the critical factor for the changes observed in the gut microbiota. Impact Infants are commonly exposed to IAP and postnatal antibiotics, and later to courses of antibiotics during the first year of life. Perinatal antibiotics have been associated with an altered gut microbiota during the first months of life, whereas the evidence regarding the long-term impact is more limited. Perinatal antibiotic exposure had a marked impact on the infant’s gut microbiota at 1 year of age. Impact of the perinatal antibiotics on the gut microbiota composition was greater than that of the later courses of antibiotics at the age of 1 year.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Péron ◽  
Philippe Voruz ◽  
Jordan Pierce ◽  
Kévin Ahrweiller ◽  
Claire Haegelen ◽  
...  

Abstract Risk factors for long-term non-motor disorders and quality of life following subthalamic nucleus deep-brain stimulation (STN DBS) have not yet been fully identified. In the present study, we investigated the impact of motor symptom asymmetry in Parkinson’s disease.Data were extracted for 52 patients with Parkinson’s disease (half with left-sided motor symptoms and half with right-sided ones) who underwent bilateral STN and a matched healthy control group. Performances for cognitive tests and neuropsychiatric and quality-of-life questionnaires at 12 months post-DBS were compared with a pre-DBS baseline. Results indicated a deterioration in cognitive performance post-DBS in patients with left-sided motor symptoms. Performances of patients with right-sided motor symptoms were maintained, except for a verbal executive task. These differential effects had an impact on patients’ quality of life. The results highlight the existence of two distinct cognitive profiles of Parkinson’s disease, depending on motor symptom asymmetry. This asymmetry is a potential risk factor for non-motor adverse effects following STN DBS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Soundy ◽  
Johnny Collett ◽  
Sophie Lawrie ◽  
Shelly Coe ◽  
Helen Roberts ◽  
...  

Aim: The dual aim of this research was to consider the impact of providing the First Steps program on the stories of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and to investigate the psychosocial and emotional mechanisms which may explain this impact. Methods: A qualitative study using a subtle realist paradigm and hermeneutic phenomenological methodology was undertaken. A single semi-structured interview was used to consider the impact and experiences of people with PD who completed either the intervention (2-day peer-led behavior intervention using storytelling 6–8 weeks apart) or received telephone support calls as part of the active control group. Descriptive statistics and a narrative analysis were undertaken on the results. Results: Forty-two participants were invited to participate, forty of whom completed the interview. This included 18 from the intervention group and 22 from the active control group. The intervention group identified the value of the program as worth-while, demonstrating improved exercise behavior and coping mechanisms following the intervention. Three major stories (the affirmed, the validated and the transformed story) identified the impact of the intervention. Three internal mechanisms (perceived control, hope and action, and the individual’s mind set) alongside three social mechanisms (social comparison, social control and the first opportunity to share with peers) appeared to explain this impact. Conclusion: This study provides exciting and novel evidence of the impact of a peer-led psycho-educational intervention for people newly diagnosed with PD. Further research is needed to consider the impact of stories-based approaches on participants and consider a critical evaluation of the mechanisms which may explain changes in stories and self-reported behaviour.


Author(s):  
Eman M. Khedr ◽  
Anwar M. Ali ◽  
Enas Deaf ◽  
Hebatallah M. Hassan ◽  
Ahmed Alaa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. There is accumulating evidence that link gut microbiota to symptomatology and pathophysiology of PD. The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of gut microbiota and its association with PD and identify the effect of environmental factors on gut microbiota. This case–control study included 46 patients diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and 31 healthy volunteers age and sex matched. Detailed history including age of onset, duration of disease, environmental risk factors, diet data, treatment, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) domain of Non‐Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) were assessed. After extraction of bacterial DNA from the fecal samples, bacterial abundance was quantified by qPCR using 16S rRNA group-specific primers. Results Significant high abundance of Clostridium cluster IV, Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and lactic acid bacteria were found in the PD group compared with the control group (P < 0.001, 0.04, 0.02 and < 0.001, respectively), while Firmicutes were significantly less abundant in the PD group (P < 0.001) compared with the control group. The naive PD patients had significant abundance of Bifidobacterium, and lactic acid compared with control group. Interestingly, Akkermansia was more abundant in treated than untreated patients. There were significant associations between pesticide exposure and Bifidobacterium (P = 0.002), while no significant correlations between different gut microbiota and demographic, environment data, different rating scores or dominant type of PD. There was a significant negative correlation between the Bifidobacterium with the duration of illness (P = 0.012). Conclusion The present study highlighted a significant connection between PD and levels of certain types of gut microbiota, in support of a possible link between gut microbiota and a neurodegenerative cascade of PD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. e0009171
Author(s):  
Marcella Rungue ◽  
Victor Melo ◽  
David Martins ◽  
Priscila C. Campos ◽  
Gabriela Leles ◽  
...  

Brucella abortus is a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for a worldwide zoonotic infection—Brucellosis, which has been associated with high morbidity rate in humans and severe economic losses in infected livestock. The natural route of infection is through oral and nasal mucosa but the invasion process through host gut mucosa is yet to be understood. Studies have examined the role of NLRP6 (NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing-6 protein) in gut homeostasis and defense against pathogens. Here, we investigated the impact of gut microbiota and NLRP6 in a murine model of Ba oral infection. Nlrp6-/- and wild-type (WT) mice were infected by oral gavage with Ba and tissues samples were collected at different time points. Our results suggest that Ba oral infection leads to significant alterations in gut microbiota. Moreover, Nlrp6-/- mice were more resistant to infection, with decreased CFU in the liver and reduction in gut permeability when compared to the control group. Fecal microbiota transplantation from WT and Nlrp6-/- into germ-free mice reflected the gut permeability phenotype from the donors. Additionally, depletion of gut microbiota by broad-spectrum-antibiotic treatment prevented Ba replication in WT while favoring bacterial growth in Nlrp6-/-. Finally, we observed higher eosinophils in the gut and leukocytes in the blood of infected Nlrp6-/- compared to WT-infected mice, which might be associated to the Nlrp6-/- resistance phenotype. Altogether, these results indicated that gut microbiota composition is the major factor involved in the initial stages of pathogen host replication and partially also by the resistance phenotype observed in Nlrp6 -/- mice regulating host inflammation against Ba infection.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  

It is hypothesised that Parkinson’s disease and chronic strokes may interfere with patient’s ability to multitask. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of chronic stroke or Parkinson’s on simple multitasking abilities. Both diseases cause the inability to perform simple activities such as walking and mental mathematics simultaneously. In a controlled sample of 15 patients of Indian origin with either chronic stroke or Parkinson’s disease it was observed that there was a significant deterioration in the ability to multitask (increase in time taken to multitask between Timed up and Go (TUG) and Dual Timed up and Go (Dual TUG) versus a normal control group). The study found that the average increase in time required to complete the tests was 49% (for chronic stroke patients) and 36 % (for patients with Parkinson’s disease) as compared to a normal baseline of less than 10%. In patients with chronic stroke or Parkinson’s disease, special attention must be paid to these impairments as they significantly affect independent living.


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