The New Scientist reports:
Testosterone blocks Alzheimer's brain abnormality
Doses of testosterone might prevent a key brain
abnormality associated with Alzheimer's disease,
say US researchers. Their work in rats suggests
that older women as well as men should be given
testosterone to help prevent or treat the disease,
they say. ...
See Full Report:
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991818
The study cited in that report was published in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
I found the following supporting evidence via PubMed:
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Brain Research, 2001 Nov 16;919(1):160-5.
Testosterone attenuates beta-amyloid toxicity in cultured
hippocampal neurons.
Pike CJ.
Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, 3715
McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA. cjpike at usc.edu
Accumulating evidence suggests that testosterone has neurotrophic
and perhaps neuroprotective actions. Thus, age-related depletion
of testosterone may increase the brain's vulnerability to
Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. To begin investigating
this issue, cultured neurons were exposed to the Alzheimer-related
insult beta-amyloid in the presence of testosterone. beta-Amyloid
neurotoxicity was significantly reduced by testosterone via a
rapid, estrogen-independent mechanism. These data may provide
additional insight into the treatment of age-related
neurodegenerative disorders.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11689174&dopt=Abstract
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Neuroendocrinol Lett, 2001 Jun;22(3):163-8.
Serum total testosterone is lower in men with Alzheimer's disease.
"MAIN FINDINGS: Our results suggested that low TT [total
testosterone] may be a co-morbid feature of DAT [Dementia
of the Alzheimer's Type] in men. However, low TT levels
could also exacerbate the disease. ..."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11449190&dopt=Abstract
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J Neurochem, 2001 Jun;77(5):1319-26.
Testosterone-mediated neuroprotection through the androgen
receptor in human primary neurons.
"These results indicate that androgens induce neuroprotection
directly through the androgen receptor. These data suggest
that androgens may also be of therapeutic value against
Alzheimer's disease in aging males."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11389183&dopt=Abstract
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http://IanGoddard.net
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