Studies on homocysteine plasma levels in Alzheimer's patients. Relevance for neurodegeneration

Homocysteine (HC) may work inter alia as a Volume Transmission signal since HC is present in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid and binds to NMDA receptors. Furthermore, in cell cultures increased HC formation increases its export. In the present study we have shown that after intravenous injection in intact animals HC penetrates the blood-brain barrier. Hence, it works as a blood-born humoral signal. Furthermore, we have studied HC plasma levels in a group of Alzheimer's (AD) patients and compared with a group of age-matched patients. It has been confirmed that a positive correlation exists between age and HC plasma levels in the control group, but not in the AD patients. These results may depend on the fact that in AD patients high HC plasma levels (possibly associated with high glycine levels and/or excessive glutamate release) have favored neurodegeneration and, once this pathological process has been triggered off, the plasma HC levels become independent of the "physiological" aging-induced increase of HC plasma levels.