janet paterson wrote:
>
> At 16:22 1999/11/06 -0200, joao paulo wrote:
> >Dear friends , after reading the article below I wonder
> >what effects may have by the use of Selegiline (Eldepryl, etc.)
(from memory, precision not guaranteed): There has been a long and
sometimes acerbic scientific quarrel over selegeline (Eldepryl,
Deprenyl) almost since its first introduction. Selegiline was developed
in a small private institution, in Vienna I believe, led by Dr. Walter
Birkmayer, who theorized that the destruction of vulnerable neurons in
the substantia nigra was due to "oxidative stress". Oxidative stress
comes from chemically active "free radical" compounds such as the
naturally occurring enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). By its anti-oxidant
property, selegiline is believed to inhibit the action of MAO.
To settle the quarrel, a huge multicenter controlled trial, on about
800 PD patients, was run about 10 years ago in the U.S., using both
selegiline and tocopherol (Vitamin E), another well-known oxidant, to
see if either one or both would slow the progression of PD. DATATOP
stands for "Deprenyl And Tocopherol As Treatment Of Parkinson's".
Results seemed to indicate that selegiline is beneficial, while
tocopherol isn't; but both the statistical analysis and the underlying
theory were immediately attacked, and the battle rages to this day. I
personally take Eldepryl, and occasionally Vitamin E, on the chance
that one or the other might help, but who knows? By the way, a
substitute MAO inhibitor, that doesn't metabolize to amphetamine, is
under development. Cheers,
Joe
--
J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694
3527 Cody Road
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5013
