Inflammation as a causative factor in the aetiology of Parkinson's disease - NOS glia

[Guest guest]

Article free online - may have clues to brain inflammation in many

autistic folks. Also, my mom had " Atypical " PD, whatever that is, plus

lots of gastro karma of the discomforting sort.

*Inflammation as a causative factor in the aetiology of Parkinson's

disease*.

Whitton PS.

Department of Pharmacology, The School of Pharmacy, London, UK.

peter.whitton@...

Br J Pharmacol. 2007 Apr;150(8):963-76. Epub 2007 Mar 5.

http://www.nature.com/bjp/journal/v150/n8/pdf/0707167a.pdf

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder

affecting mainly the elderly, although a small proportion of PD patients

develop the illness at a much younger age. In the former group,

idiopathic PD patients, the causes of the illness have been the subject

of longstanding debate with environmental toxins, mitochondrial

dysfunction, abnormal protein handling and oxidative stress being

suggested. One problem has been that the epidemiology of PD has offered

few clues to provide evidence for a single major causative factor.

Comparatively recently it has been found that in both patients and

experimental models of PD in animals neuroinflammation appears to be a

ubiquitous finding. These cases present with all of the classical

features of inflammation including phagocyte activation, increased

synthesis and release of proinflammatory cytokines and complement

activation. Although this process is vital for normal function and

protection in both the CNS, as in the periphery, it is postulated that

in the aetiology of PD this process may spiral out of control with over

activation of microglia, over production of cytokines and other

proinflammatory mediators as well as the release of destructive

molecules such as reactive oxygen species. Given that dopaminergic

neurons in the substantia nigra are relatively vulnerable to 'stress'

and the region has a large population of microglia in comparison to

other CNS structures, these events may easily trigger neurodegeneration.

These factors are examined in this review along with a consideration of

the possible use of anti-inflammatory drugs in PD.

PMID: 17339843