Preclinical study showing a gender specific protective properties of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with no effective therapies, characterized by degeneration of motor neurons and muscle atrophy. Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response are pathognomonic signs of ALS. In this scenario, a crucial role is played by the nuclear erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 has been indicated as a therapeutic target for ALS, but the efficacy Nrf2 activators has been limitedly investigated. Recent in-vivo pre-clinical studies showed that dietary supplementation with the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) activates Nrf2 in the liver of healthy animals and shows antioxidant effects towards age-dependent pro-inflammatory status. We wanted to evaluate the effects of a daily oral administration of CLA (600 mg/kg/day) as dietary supplementation in SOD1G93A mice, starting from a pre-symptomatic stage of the disease (60 post natal days). We recorded motor functional parameters and the progression of the pathology by in-vivo behavioral studies and ex-vivo biochemical analysis.