Environmental Toxin Linked to Parkinson's
 (HealthDayNews, 6/21/04)

When Kevin St. P. McNaught, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and team, exposed lab rats to both artificial and naturally occurring proteasome inhibitors, the rats exhibited Parkinson's-like symptoms, including slowed movement, tremors and rigidity. Using imaging, the investigators confirmed ongoing brain changes similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. They also found that drugs used to treat Parkinson’s patients helped reverse symptoms. Autopsies of the rats' brains showed a pattern of nerve cell loss and reduced levels of dopamine, both characteristic of Parkinson's. These findings suggest that people with Parkinson’s may have ineffective proteasomes, which normally remove damaged or unneeded proteins from cells, and proteasome inhibitors in the environment may contribute to the development of the disease.

(Annals of Neurology).