Alzheimer’s & the possible treatments effects of

melatonin and resveratrolKatharine Frost

Need

Segal & Wayne, 2009

Figure 1

Fundamentals

Christensen, 2007

Figure 2

Model Organisms & Types of Alzheimer’s

- Apoe4 gene

Korschun, 2006

PET brain scans reveal plaque and tangle accumulation in patients with the APOE-4 gene, which increases risk of Alzheimer's

Segal & wayne, 2009,

Figure 4Figure 3

Non hereditary Alzheimer’s

• Non hereditary Alzheimer’s caused by oxidative stress (Korschun, 2006)

• treatments with anti oxidants (Cummings, 2009)

Resveratrol & Melatonin

Proteasome function

Patton, 2005

Melatonin levels and age

Ward, 2009

Figure 5

Figure 6

Literature Review

mM Marambaud, 2008

Marambaud

Figure 7

Literature Review

• Srinivasan (2006) determined that melatonin may also have potential to be a treatment as it increases the survival of neurons under oxidative stress

Purpose and Hypothesis

• Purpose: the purpose of this experiment is to find out if resveratrol or melatonin slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease

• Hypothesis: Drosophila treated with resveratrol and drosophila treated with melatonin will show less loss of cognitive ability than flies not treated

Methodology 300 UAS-APP drosophila melanogaster will be synchronized, sexed and separated based on gender and age

Control group N=100 Symptoms will be allowed to progress without treatment.

Melatonin group N=100 The flies will be given melatonin in their medium

Alpha lipoic acid group N=100 the flies will be given lipoic acid in their medium

Trained with electric shock to go towards a specifi c scent, and reject another. After training fli es wil l be tested in a t test maze every two days, and number of fli es near each scent after one minute will be marked down

SPSS and descriptive statistics run to look for significant differences between the numbers of flies that went towards each scent in the t maze test. An ANOVA will be run to see if there is a significant difference

Budget planbudget plan budget plan Katharine

FrostKatharine Frost 5/25/09

vendor item order # quantity description price (single) price (total)

carolina 173120 5 drosophila vials 7.5 37.5

carolina 173125 5 vial caps 3.95 19.75

carolina 173122 5 vial plugs 4.3 21.5

carolina 173210 1 medium 7.25 7.25

carolina 173190 1 vial labels 21 21

iherb.com JRW-14061 1 resveratrol 13.97 13.97

iherb.com now-03257 1 melatonin 7 7

twpinc.com 002X002C0630W36T 1 copper mesh 10.87 10.87

$138.84 total

Do-Ability• do able in the lab because it uses protocols and materials that have all been handled

and dealt with before in the lab

• Much of the materials needed for caring for the drosophila are already available

• Copper mesh, and resveratrol and melatonin would be needed.

Bibliography• Bahr, Marthias; Neuro-protection, Alzheimer's Disease; Neuro-protection; 2004; page 34• Behkne, John A; Human aging; The biology of aging; published 1978, pages 182- 185• Conn, Michael; Drosophila models of aging; Handbook of Models for Human Aging; published 2006;

pages 253-255• Christensen, DD; Alzheimer 痴 Disease: Progress in the Development of Anti-amyloid Disease-Modifying

Therapies; CNS spectrums; Vol 12; 2007; pages 113- 123• Crowther, Damien; Alzheimer's, Working with Drosophila; www.research-horizons.com; issue 1;

October, 2006• Dead, Ward; Neuroendocrine theory of aging chapter 5; http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=338; 2009• Korschun, Holly; Scientists Discover Possible Link Between Oxidative Stress and Non-hereditary

Degenerative Disease; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/42423.php; May 2, 2006• Marambaud, Philippe; Resveratrol Promotes Clearance of Alzheimer's Disease Amyloid-Peptides; The

Journal of Biochemistry; Vol 10; November 11, 2005; Pages 316-326• Patton, Dominique; Resveratrol Tackles Alzheimer's Plaques;

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Resveratrol-tackles-Alzheimer-s-plaques-shows-lab-study; November 4, 2005

• Shenk, D; Alzheimers disease; The Columbia Encyclopedia; Vol 6; 2008• Srinivasan, V; Melatonin in Alzheimer's Disease and other Neurodegenerative Disorders; Behavior

Brain Functions; Volume 2; May 4, 2006; 2-15• Wayne, Melissa and Segal, Jeanne; Alzheimer's Disease Symmptoms and Stages;

www.helpguide.org; 2009.