Scientists find evidence of link between diesel exhaust, risk of Parkinson ’s

A newUCLA study in zebrafishhas identified the processby which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson ’s disease.Publishedin thepeer-reviewed journal  Toxicological Sciences,the findings showthat chemicals in diesel exhaust can trigger the toxic buildup of a protein in the brain called alpha-synuclein, which is commonly seen in people withthe disease.Previous studies have revealed that people living in areas withheightened levels oftraffic-related air pollution tend to have higher rates of Parkinson ’s. To understand what the pollutants do to the brain,Dr. Jeff Bronstein,a professorof neurology and director of the  UCLA Movement Disorders Program, tested the effect of diesel exhaust on zebrafish in the lab.“It’s really important to be able to demonstrate whether air pollution is actually the thing that’s causing the effect or whether it’s something else in urban environments,”Bronstein said.Testing the chemicals onzebrafish, he said, lets researchers tease out whether air pollution components affect brain cells in a way that could increase the risk of Parkinson ’s.The freshwater fishworks well for studying molecular changes in the brain because its neurons interact in away similar tohumans. In addition, the fish are transparent, allowing scientists to easily observe and measure biological processes without killing the animals.“Using zebrafish allowed us to see what was going on inside their brains at various time-points...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news