Mycotoxin OTA Triggers Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Humans has now been widely exposed to the mycotoxin OTA. Early experiments have found that the OTA toxin has adverse effect on human health such as inhibiting protein synthesis, blocking dopamine formation, inducing DNA damage, oxidizing proteins, and causing lipid damage. Some studies have found that OTA consumption will reduce the membrane expression of GLAST and GLC-1 proteins, and thus, suppress the glutamate absorption and glutamine synthetase, resulting in excessive glutamate in human bodies. Therefore, OTA is likely to cause long-term potentiation of neurons, leading to amyloid β peptide aggregation or Tau deposit which interferes with normal neuronal function and induces the Alzheimer's disease. This research explores whether the dietary consumption of OTA will trigger the Alzheimer's disease.