A new UCLA study in zebrafish identified the process by which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson's disease.
A new UCLA study in zebrafish identified the process by which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson's disease.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal Toxicological Sciences, the findings show that chemicals in diesel exhaust can trigger the toxic buildup of a protein in the brain called alpha-synuclein, which is commonly seen in people with the disease.
Previous studies have revealed that people living in areas with heightened levels of traffic-related air pollution tend to have higher rates of Parkinson's. To understand what the pollutants do to the brain, Dr. Jeff Bronstein, a professor of 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.
Read more at University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Image: Dr. Jeff Bronstein from University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences (Credit: UCLA Health)
