image: Normal mice (left) shred a pressed cotton square and arrange the material to build a nest. Nesting behavior is impaired (center) following injection of alpha-synuclein fibrils into the striatum (the part of the brain where dopamine producing neurons project to), but this behavior is preserved in fibrilinjected mice co-treated with EHT and caffeine (right). view more
Credit: Image courtesy of M. Maral Mouradian
一项关于帕金森病和路易体痴呆的小鼠模型的研究发现，咖啡的成分eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide起到了与此前被认为是咖啡的神经保护性成分的咖啡因协同增效的作用，维持了PP2A酶处于活性状态从而让这种酶可以把涉及帕金森病致病的超磷酸化α-synuclein蛋白质去磷酸化；这组作者说，这两种化合物可能合起来防止了神经退化和神经炎症，并且保护了大脑细胞。
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Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences