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and ditto this report (the website address from which it's quoted).... thanks, ariela ---- Judith Richards <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > September 27, 2001 > Antidepressants May Help Fight Parkinson's Disease > > NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In preliminary findings that could give > new > hope to patients with Parkinson's disease, researchers have discovered > that some antidepressants may block the release of a key brain chemical > that can damage nerves and contribute to the declines in brain and > motor > coordination characteristic of the disorder. > > Parkinson's disease is a progressive and irreversible disorder that > occurs when brain cells that produce the chemical dopamine begin to > die. > It can also occur when the proteins that transport dopamine between > nerves in a certain region of the brain malfunction, allowing the > chemical to spill into gaps between neurons, where it damages the > nerves. > > In the current study, Dr. Isabelle M. Mintz and colleagues from Boston > University in Massachusetts looked at dendrites--the branch-like > extensions that nerve cells use to communicate with other neurons--in > the substantia nigra, an area of the brain associated with Parkinson's > disease, in rats. > > According to their report in the September 28th issue of Science, > certain stimuli caused the dopamine-carrying proteins in dendrites > to > malfunction. Rather than picking up dopamine, these proteins leaked > the > chemical into the space between neurons, causing damage to the nerves, > the investigators found. > > But a compound that inhibits the proteins that transport dopamine > prevented the spillage, the authors note, indicating that similar > compounds, such as some antidepressants, might have the same effect > in > the early stages of Parkinson's disease. > > ``This suggests that some widely used antidepressants that inhibit > the > dopamine transporter may benefit patients in the early stages of > Parkinson's disease,'' Mintz and colleagues conclude. > > SOURCE: Science 2001;293:2465-2470. > Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. > Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. > -- > Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada > [log in to unmask] > EASE THE BURDEN > FIND A CURE > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > __________________________________________________ FREE voicemail, email, and fax...all in one place. Sign Up Now! http://www.onebox.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn