Combination of a vasodilating drug and vibration showed signs of enhanced removal of proteins from the brain

What the researchers showed

Combining a drug that temporarily widens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure with vibration exposure was accompanied by signs of enhanced transfer of soluble brain proteins into the blood. These are the results of a small study by the University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, published in the journal Nature Communications.

How the study was conducted

The randomized crossover study involved 29 healthy adults. The scientists used a drug that acts through nitric oxide and rhythmic whole-body vibration designed to target the mechanosensitive Piezo1 channels in blood vessels. The idea was to alter vascular pulsations associated with fluid movement in the brain: such processes are normally enhanced during sleep. Previous animal experiments indicated that influencing vascular mechanisms may affect the transport of fluid and dissolved substances.

Results and their limitations

The researchers used MRI, physiological measurements, and blood analysis. After the combined exposure, blood levels of beta-amyloid 40 and 42 as well as the GFAP protein increased; at the same time, indicators of fluid movement and distribution in the brain changed. According to the authors' interpretation, the totality of changes is consistent with a temporary redistribution of soluble proteins from the brain into the bloodstream. The effect was linked to age and to the degree of drug-induced blood pressure reduction. Under controlled conditions, the interventions were well tolerated. However, as the authors emphasize, the rise in protein markers in the blood does not yet prove a reduction in pathological deposits or prevention of Alzheimer's disease: the effectiveness of the approach in patients with memory impairment remains to be studied.