Low-level pesticide exposure linked to Parkinson's disease
According to the Parkinson's disease foundation, more than 1 million Americans have the disease. Now, new research suggests that exposure to pesticides may increase the risk of the disease and that individuals with specific gene variants may be more susceptible. This is according to a study recently published in the journal Neurology.
In a previous study published in PNAS last year, the research team, including Dr. Jeff M. Bronstein of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), first uncovered a link between Parkinson's disease and a pesticide called benomyl.
Benomyl is a fungicide. Its use was banned by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2001 after being deemed a possible carcinogen.
The investigators discovered that benomyl blocks an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). This enzyme changes aldehydes that are toxic to dopamine cells into those that are less toxic. If ALDH is blocked, this can play a part in the development of Parkinson's disease.
<snip>
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/272097.php
= new reply since forum marked as read
