Effects of Anserine/Carnosine Supplementation on Mild Cognitive Impairment with APOE4

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 11; no. 7; p. 1626
• Main Authors: Masuoka, Nobutaka, Yoshimine, Chitose, Hori, Marie, Tanaka, Mieko, Asada, Takashi, Abe, Keiichi, Hisatsune, Tatsuhiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 17.07.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer disease; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides - blood; anserine; Anserine - administration & dosage; Apolipoprotein E4 - metabolism; Apolipoproteins; Blood-brain barrier; Brain research; carnosine; Carnosine - administration & dosage; cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition - drug effects; Cognitive ability; cognitive disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; elderly; Female; Humans; Laboratories; Male; Memory; Middle Aged; Musculoskeletal system; Older people; placebos; protective effect; Japan; mild cognitive impairment (MCI); Alzheimer’s disease; cognitive functions; APOE4; anserine and carnosine; randomized controlled trial (RCT)
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu11071626

Background: Oral supplementation of anserine/carnosine helps preserve cognitive functions in healthy older adults. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transition between cognitive-normal and dementia. Therefore, it needs to investigate whether anserine/carnosine supplementation (ACS) has effects on subjects with MCI. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial was performed. Fifty-four subjects with MCI were randomized to an active group ingesting 750 mg of anserine and 250 mg of carnosine per day or a placebo (1:1). Evaluation of cognitive change was conducted utilizing a psychometric test battery. Results: The score improvement in the global Clinical Dementia Rating (gloCDR) was superior in the active group than placebo (p = 0.023). No beneficial effect in the active group was detected in the other psychometric tests including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Wechsler Memory Scale, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS). When APOE4 positive (APOE4 (+)) or negative (APOE4 (-)) subjects were separately analyzed, beneficial change in the APOE4 (+) subjects was observed in MMSE (p = 0.025) as well as in gloCDR (p = 0.026). Conclusions: The present study might suggest that protective effects against cognitive decline in APOE4 (+) MCI subjects exist.