Nicotine from edible Solanaceae and risk of Parkinson disease

Association between wide-ranging food intake and Parkinson's disease: a comprehensive mendelian randomization study

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, including dietary habits. Despite considerable research, the relationship between food intake and PD risk remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted a comprehensive Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the association between a wide spectrum of food intake and PD risk. Utilizing data from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and dietary databases, we constructed genetic instruments for various dietary factors, including fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, dairy, and grain intake, among others, totaling 170 different food items. Using multivariable inverse variance weighted methods, we found a causal relationship between Mozzarella intake and Parkinson's disease (odds ratio [OR] = 9.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.52-38.34, P-value < 0.05). Additionally, a causal relationship was observed between Pancake intake and Parkinson's disease (odds ratio [OR] = 0.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.07-0.59, P-value < 0.05). Furthermore, our reverse Mendelian randomization analysis and multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis provided further support for these findings. To our knowledge, we are the first to investigate the causal relationship between the broad intake of 170 different food items and Parkinson's disease. Our study reveals the causal relationships between Pancake intake, and Mozzarella intake with Parkinson's disease.

Clearing the Smoke: What Protects Smokers from Parkinson's Disease?

The link between smoking and a lower risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the strongest environmental or lifestyle associations in neuroepidemiology. Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that the association is based on a neuroprotective effect of smoking on PD, despite the plausible alternative that smoking serves as a marker for a proximal protective influence without itself conferring benefit. But how smoking could protect against neurodegeneration in PD is not well understood. Of several candidate molecules and mechanisms that have been nominated, nicotine has received the most attention. However, randomized controlled clinical trials of nicotine in PD have failed to demonstrate benefit on motor endpoints, including the NIC-PD study in which recently diagnosed participants were randomly assigned to placebo or nicotine treatment for 1 year. Given these results, the time is right to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of other molecules and biochemical cascades triggered by smoking. Here, we review the evidence supporting smoking's possible protective effect on PD, compounds in tobacco and smoke that might mediate such benefit, and non-causal classes of explanation, including reverse causation and the prospect of shared genetic determinants of smoking and PD resistance. The therapeutic potential of non-nicotine components of smoke is suggested by studies supporting multiple alternative mechanisms ranging from monoamine oxidase inhibitors to gut microbiome disruption to antioxidant response induction by chronic exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide. Rigorous investigation is warranted to evaluate this molecule and others for disease-preventing and disease-modifying activity in PD models and, if warranted, in clinical trials. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Screening and Targeting Risk Factors for Prodromal Synucleinopathy: Taking Steps toward a Prescriptive Multi-modal Framework

As the prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) grows, so too does the population at-risk of developing PD, those in the so-called prodromal period. This period can span from those experiencing subtle motor deficits yet not meeting full diagnostic criteria or those with physiologic markers of disease alone. Several disease-modifying therapies have failed to show a neuroprotective effect. A common criticism is that neurodegeneration, even in the early motor stages, has advanced too far for neuro-restoration-based interventions to be effective. Therefore, identifying this early population is essential. Once identified, these patients could then potentially benefit from sweeping lifestyle modifications to alter their disease trajectory. Herein, we review the literature on risk factors for, and prodromal symptoms of, PD with an emphasis on ones which may be modifiable in the earliest possible stages. We propose a process for identifying this population and speculate on some strategies which may modulate disease trajectory. Ultimately, this proposal warrants prospective studies.

Improving Wastewater-Based Tobacco Use Estimates Using Anabasine

In wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), nicotine metabolites have been used as biomarkers for monitoring tobacco use. Recently, the minor tobacco alkaloids anabasine and anatabine have been suggested as more specific biomarkers for tobacco use since nicotine use can be from both tobacco and non-tobacco sources. This study aimed to provide an in-depth evaluation of the suitability of anabasine and anatabine as WBE biomarkers of tobacco and subsequently estimate their excretion factors for WBE applications. Pooled urine (n = 64) and wastewater samples (n = 277), collected between 2009 and 2019 in Queensland, Australia, were analyzed for nicotine and its metabolites (cotinine and hydroxycotinine), as well as anabasine and anatabine. Anabasine performed as the better biomarker, showing a similar per capita load in pooled urine (2.2 ± 0.3 μg/day/person) and wastewater samples (2.3 ± 0.3 μg/day/person), while the per capita load of anatabine in wastewater was 50% higher than its load in urine. It is estimated that 0.9 μg of anabasine was excreted per cigarette smoked. Triangulation of tobacco sales data and tobacco use estimated from either anabasine or cotinine showed that anabasine-based estimates were 5% higher than sales data, while cotinine-based estimates were between 2 and 28% higher. Our results provided concrete evidence to confirm the suitability of anabasine as a specific biomarker for monitoring tobacco use by WBE.

Systems biology reveals anatabine to be an NRF2 activator

Anatabine, an alkaloid present in plants of the Solanaceae family (including tobacco and eggplant), has been shown to ameliorate chronic inflammatory conditions in mouse models, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and intestinal inflammation. However, the mechanisms of action of anatabine remain unclear. To understand the impact of anatabine on cellular systems and identify the molecular pathways that are perturbed, we designed a study to examine the concentration-dependent effects of anatabine on various cell types by using a systems pharmacology approach. The resulting dataset, consisting of measurements of various omics data types at different time points, was analyzed by using multiple computational techniques. To identify concentration-dependent activated pathways, we performed linear modeling followed by gene set enrichment. To predict the functional partners of anatabine and the involved pathways, we harnessed the LINCS L1000 dataset’s wealth of information and implemented integer linear programming on directed graphs, respectively. Finally, we experimentally verified our key computational predictions. Using an appropriate luciferase reporter cell system, we were able to demonstrate that anatabine treatment results in NRF2 (nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2) translocation, and our systematic phosphoproteomic assays showed that anatabine treatment results in activation of MAPK signaling. While there are certain areas to be explored in deciphering the exact anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action of anatabine and other NRF2 activators, we believe that anatabine constitutes an interesting molecule for its therapeutic potential in NRF2-related diseases.

Neurodegenerative Diseases: Implications of Environmental and Climatic Influences on Neurotransmitters and Neuronal Hormones Activities

Neurodegenerative and neuronal-related diseases are major public health concerns. Human vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) increases with age. Neuronal hormones and neurotransmitters are major determinant factors regulating brain structure and functions. The implications of environmental and climatic changes emerged recently as influence factors on numerous diseases. However, the complex interaction of neurotransmitters and neuronal hormones and their depletion under environmental and climatic influences on NDDs are not well established in the literature. In this review, we aim to explore the connection between the environmental and climatic factors to NDDs and to highlight the available and potential therapeutic interventions that could use to improve the quality of life and reduce susceptibility to NDDs.

From Foods to Chemotherapeutics: The Antioxidant Potential of Dietary Phytochemicals

Food plants have been recognized for their medicinal properties for millennia, a concept supported by epidemiological studies indicating long-term health benefits for people consuming greater amounts of fruits and vegetables. As our technology and instrumentation advance, researchers have the ability to identify promising phytochemicals, and examine their potential benefits, or detriments, to human health. While results from trials investigating single chemical supplementation have sometimes produced negative health results, studies investigating the synergistic action of phytochemicals—either within our diet or as an adjuvant to radiation or chemotherapy—appear promising. Utilizing phytochemicals as synergistic agents may lower the chemotherapeutic doses needed to incur physiological results, while also using chemicals with fewer toxic effects. This review investigates a variety of plant-produced chemicals humans typically ingest, their impacts on overall health patterns, molecular mechanisms associated with their health impacts, and the potential of their synergistic use for therapeutic purposes.

The Promise of Mendelian Randomization in Parkinson's Disease: Has the Smoke Cleared Yet for Smoking and Parkinson's Disease Risk?

This commentary discusses the strengths and limitations of utilizing the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach in Parkinson's disease (PD) studies. Epidemiologists proposed to employ MR when genetic instruments are available that represent reliable proxies for modifiable lifelong exposures which elude easy measurement in studies of late onset diseases like PD. Here, we are using smoking as an example. The great promise of the MR approach is its resilience to confounding and reverse causation. Nevertheless, the approach has some drawbacks such as being liable to selection- and survival-bias, it makes some strong assumptions about the genetic instruments employed, and requires very large sample sizes. When interpreted carefully and put into the context of other studies that take both genetics and the environment into consideration, MR studies help us to not only ask interesting questions but also can support causal inference and provide novel insights.

Nutritional aspects in Parkinson's disease

The links between diet and Parkinson's disease (PD) are unclear and incomprehensible. However, numerous studies have demonstrated the correlation between diet, nutrients and health condition in PD patients. They indicate the possibility of management of the disease, which might be possible through nutrition. Pharmaceutical treatment as well as a complementary holistic approach to the patients should be considered. It is of critical importance to understand how the diet and nutrients might influence PD. A better understanding of the relationship between diet and PD could help to better manage the disease explain promising therapeutic approaches, minimize motor and nonmotor symptoms and disease progression based on a personalized diet. In this review, the recent literature on the observed nutrition disorders and the possible role of diet and nutrients in the prevention and potential regression of PD, as well as dietary interventions and supplementation used to manage the disease is revised.

Pepper component 7-ethoxy-4-methylcoumarin, a novel dopamine D2 receptor agonist, ameliorates experimental Parkinson's disease in mice and Caenorhabditis elegans

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease resulting from the degeneration of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and subsequent deficit of dopamine in the striatum. PD is inversely associated with consumption of peppers; however, the constituent and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 7-ethoxy-4-methylcoumarin (EMC), a pepper constituent, on PD-like disorders in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mice and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-exposed C. elegans. In this study, EMC was identified as an agonist of dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) and increased the expression of P-CREB and BDNF in SH-SY5Y cells. In MPTP-treated PD mice, EMC was shown to apparently ameliorate the motor and gait disorders, and restore the depressed TH expression in SNpc and striatum. Meanwhile, it recovered the locomotor deficit caused by 6-OHDA in wild type N2 and CAT-2-transgenic UA57 of C. elegans, and relieved the degeneration of DAergic neurons resulting from 6-OHDA or with ageing. Moreover, EMC inhibited α-synuclein accumulation in C. elegans strain NL5901 overexpressing human α-synuclein gene. Taken together, EMC was identified as a novel DRD2 agonist and improved experimental PD in mice and C. elegans. These findings suggest that EMC may be beneficial to PD patients, further supporting that the consumption of peppers may have favorable effect on PD progression.

Nicotine Prevents Oxidative Stress-Induced Hippocampal Neuronal Injury Through α7-nAChR/Erk1/2 Signaling Pathway

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage has been implicated to play a dominant role in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Nicotine, a principal additive compound for tobacco users, is thought as a candidate to attenuate amyloid-β-mediated neurotoxicity and NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. Previous studies demonstrated that nicotine exerted this neuroprotective action on oxidative stress. However, the mechanisms underlying how nicotine contributes on oxidative injury in immortalized hippocampal HT-22 cells remain largely unknown. Therefore, in this study we investigated that the potential effects of nicotine on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative injury and underlying mechanisms in HT-22 cells. We found that pretreatment with nicotine at low concentrations markedly recovered the cell cycle that was arrested at the G2/M phase in the presence of H₂O₂ through reduced intracellular ROS generation. Moreover, nicotine attenuated H₂O₂-induced mitochondrial dysfunctions. Mechanistically, the application of nicotine significantly upregulated the levels of phosphorylated Erk1/2. The neuroprotective effects of nicotine, in turn, were abolished by PD0325901, a selective Erk1/2 inhibitor. Further obtained investigation showed that nicotine exerted its neuroprotective effects via specifically activating α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs). A selective inhibitor of α7-nAChRs, methyllycaconitine citrate (MLA), not only completely prevented nicotine-mediated antioxidation but also abolished expression of p-Erk1/2. Taken together, our findings suggest that nicotine suppresses H₂O₂-induced HT-22 cell injury through activating the α7-nAChR/Erk1/2 signaling pathway, which indicates that nicotine may be a novel strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Determination of Urinary Cotinine Cut-Off Concentrations for Pregnant Women in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS)

Few studies have assessed the accuracy of self-reported questionnaires to determine smoking habits relative to urinary biomarkers. This study investigated urinary cotinine cut-off concentrations distinguishing active, passive and non-smokers among pregnant women who participated in the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide birth cohort study. Pregnant participants with measured urinary cotinine concentrations (UCCs) and who completed self-reported questionnaires on smoking status were included (n = 89,895). The cut-off values (COVs) for active and passive smokers were calculated by fitting mixed normal distribution functions to UCCs. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaires were subsequently evaluated. The median (interquartile range) UCC was 0.24 (0.083-0.96) µg/g-creatinine, with the detection rate of 89%. The COV for distinguishing active smokers from passive and non-smokers was 36.8 µg/g-creatinine. When this COV was considered to represent the true condition, the questionnaire had a sensitivity of 0.523, a specificity of 0.998, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.967 and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.957. The COV for distinguishing passive smokers from non-smokers was 0.31 µg/g-creatinine, with the questionnaire having a sensitivity of 0.222, a specificity of 0.977, a PPV of 0.868 and an NPV of 0.644. As many as 78% of passive smokers might be misclassified as non-smokers.

Dietary nicotine intake and risk of Parkinson disease: a prospective study

BACKGROUND

Tobacco use was observed to be associated with a lower risk of Parkinson disease (PD) in previous epidemiologic studies, with nicotine as a potential candidate. The association between dietary nicotine and PD risk has, however, not been examined in prospective studies yet.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to examine prospectively the association between dietary nicotine intake and subsequent PD risk among never-smokers.

METHODS

The current study was based on never-smoker participants from 2 large prospective cohorts: the Nurses' Health Study (n = 31,615) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (n = 19,523). The studies contained information on dietary nicotine intake from 1986 from validated FFQs. Dietary nicotine intake was calculated based on consumption of peppers, tomatoes, processed tomatoes, potatoes, and tea. Incident cases of PD were identified via questionnaires and subsequently confirmed by reviewing medical records. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate cohort-specific HRs, and used fixed-effects models to calculate the pooled HR.

RESULTS

During 26 y of follow-up, we identified 601 incident PD cases (296 women and 305 men). After adjusting for potential covariates, the pooled HR for the highest compared with the lowest quintile of dietary nicotine intake was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.94). The significant inverse association was, however, only observed in women (adjusted HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.96), not in men (adjusted HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.50, 1.20). Further adjusting for environmental tobacco smoke exposure, family history of PD, and use of ibuprofen generated similar significant results in women. Consistently, greater consumption of peppers was associated with lower risk of PD (adjusted HR for ≥5 times/wk compared with ≤3 times/mo: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.94) in women but not in men (adjusted HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.90).

CONCLUSIONS

Women with greater dietary nicotine intake had a lower risk of PD than those with lower intake.

Clinical trials in REM sleep behavioural disorder: challenges and opportunities

The rapid eye movement sleep behavioural disorder (RBD) population is an ideal study population for testing disease-modifying treatments for synucleinopathies, since RBD represents an early prodromal stage of synucleinopathy when neuropathology may be more responsive to treatment. While clonazepam and melatonin are most commonly used as symptomatic treatments for RBD, clinical trials of symptomatic treatments are also needed to identify evidence-based treatments. A comprehensive framework for both disease-modifying and symptomatic treatment trials in RBD is described, including potential treatments in the pipeline, cost-effective participant recruitment and selection, study design, outcomes and dissemination of results. For disease-modifying treatment clinical trials, the recommended primary outcome is phenoconversion to an overt synucleinopathy, and stratification features should be used to select a study population at high risk of phenoconversion, to enable more rapid clinical trials. For symptomatic treatment clinical trials, objective polysomnogram-based measurement of RBD-related movements and vocalisations should be the primary outcome measure, rather than subjective scales or diaries. Mobile technology to enable objective measurement of RBD episodes in the ambulatory setting, and advances in imaging, biofluid, tissue, and neurophysiological biomarkers of synucleinopathies, will enable more efficient clinical trials but are still in development. Increasing awareness of RBD among the general public and medical community coupled with timely diagnosis of these diseases will facilitate progress in the development of therapeutics for RBD and associated neurodegenerative disorders.

The Changing Landscape of Parkinson Epidemiologic Research

Despite recent successes in understanding the genetics of Parkinson’s disease (PD), the causes of late-onset sporadic PD remain elusive. Many of the epidemiologic findings on PD etiology have been challenged by alternative explanations such as reverse causation. This is mainly because PD often takes decades to develop before it can be diagnosed late in life. Convincing evidence shows that this prodromal stage of PD is characterized by various prodromal symptoms such as olfactory impairment and rapid-eye-movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). As they likely reflect PD pathogenesis years, if not decades, before nigrostriatal involvement, research on these symptoms may represent an unprecedented opportunity to dissect the etiology of PD. Using PD prodromal symptoms as intermediate phenotypes, we may be able to identify factors that contribute to the development of these symptoms and factors that modify their progression to clinical PD. Further, this line of research will also enable examinations of novel etiological hypotheses of PD development such as the microbiome and prion hypotheses. In this article, the author used olfactory impairment and RBD as examples to illustrate the promises and challenges of epidemiologic research on prodromal symptoms to understand PD etiology.

A Narrative Review of Lifestyle Factors Associated with Parkinson's Disease Risk and Progression

Parkinson's disease is a complex slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder with motor and non-motor symptoms affecting daily living. Despite effective symptomatic treatments, with various degrees of side effects, no disease-modifying therapeutic options presently exist. Symptoms progress, with an accumulating burden, reducing the quality of life and forming the impression that medications are no longer effective. Adopting positive lifestyle behaviours can empower patients, improve the quality of life, alleviate symptoms, and potentially slow disease progression. Lifestyle behaviours including nutrition, cognitive enrichment, physical activity, and stress management have beneficial effects on brain health and quality of life. While some evidence of an association of lifestyle with Parkinson's disease risk and progression exists, the sparse and often conflicting data make it difficult to provide clinical recommendations. Herein, we highlight studies showing promising associations between lifestyle and Parkinson's disease. Given the increasing aging of populations worldwide and the prevalence of neurological disorders, further research into self-management through adoption of positive lifestyle behaviours is clearly warranted to better enable individualized care.

Modulation of dopamine metabolizing enzymes and antioxidant status by Capsicum annuum Lin in rotenone-intoxicated rat brain

Rotenone is a natural pesticide and environmental neurotoxin which mimics key aspects of Parkinson's disease. This study evaluated the effect of ethyl acetate extract of Capsicum annuum L. (C. annuum) in rotenone-intoxicated rats. Oral doses of C. annuum extract (50, 100 & 200 mg kg-1) and rotenone (2 mg kg-1 i.p.) were co-administered for 25 days during which rearing behavior was monitored. Biochemical alterations in the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), monoamine oxidase (MAO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH) were estimated. Decrease in rearing behavior resulting from rotenone exposure was ameliorated by 200 mg kg-1 of C. annuum. Furthermore, rotenone exposure significantly (P < 0.05) decreased TH and increased MAO levels respectively. Impaired brain antioxidant capacity, typified by significantly (P < 0.05) decreased GSH redox status and SOD levels were also observed in rotenone-treated rats. However, co-administration of C. annuum ameliorated rotenone-induced derangements and potentiated the effect of levodopa. These results taken together suggests that C. annuum protects against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity by modulating dopamine metabolism and GSH redox status in rat brain.

Gene-by-environment interactions in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

Diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) arise from complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors, with genetic variants regulating individual responses to environmental exposures (i.e. gene-by-environment interactions). Identifying gene-by-environment interactions will be critical to fully understanding disease mechanisms and developing personalized therapeutics, though these interactions are still poorly understood and largely under-studied. Candidate gene approaches have shown that known disease risk variants often regulate response to environmental factors. However, recent improvements in exposome- and genome-wide association and interaction studies in humans and mice are enabling discovery of novel genetic variants and pathways that predict response to a variety of environmental factors. Here, we highlight recent approaches and ongoing developments in human and rodent studies to identify genetic modulators of environmental factors using AD and PD as exemplars. Identifying gene-by-environment interactions in disease will be critical to developing personalized intervention strategies and will pave the way for precision medicine.

Use of medical care biases associations between Parkinson disease and other medical conditions

OBJECTIVE

To examine how use of medical care biases the well-established associations between Parkinson disease (PD) and smoking, smoking-related cancers, and selected positively associated comorbidities.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based, case-control study of 89,790 incident PD cases and 118,095 randomly selected controls, all Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 to 90 years. We ascertained PD and other medical conditions using ICD-9-CM codes from comprehensive claims data for the 5 years before PD diagnosis/reference. We used logistic regression to estimate age-, sex-, and race-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) between PD and each other medical condition of interest. We then examined the effect of also adjusting for selected geographic- or individual-level indicators of use of care.

RESULTS

Models without adjustment for use of care and those that adjusted for geographic-level indicators produced similar ORs. However, adjustment for individual-level indicators consistently decreased ORs: Relative to ORs without adjustment for use of care, all ORs were between 8% and 58% lower, depending on the medical condition and the individual-level indicator of use of care added to the model. ORs decreased regardless of whether the established association is known to be positive or inverse. Most notably, smoking and smoking-related cancers were positively associated with PD without adjustment for use of care, but appropriately became inversely associated with PD with adjustment for use of care.

CONCLUSION

Use of care should be considered when evaluating associations between PD and other medical conditions to ensure that positive associations are not attributable to bias and that inverse associations are not masked.

Epidemiology of Parkinson's Disease-East Versus West

Background

The cause of PD at present remains unknown. A number of epidemiological studies have been conducted across the globe to ascertain the disease burden and the possible risk factors. In this review, we analyze the various studies from East and West with an aim to observe the important similarities and differences in the disease occurrence and risk factor profile.

Methods

A comprehensive search of descriptive and analytical epidemiological studies was undertaken. The descriptive studies and meta-analysis providing the standardised population rates were selected. The demographics, ethnicity and geographical differences between East and West were analysed. In analytical epidemiology, more established and well-studied non-genetic risk factors for PD were reviewed utilising the prospective cohort studies, case control studies and meta-analysis where available.

Results and Conclusion

PD is more common with increasing age and shows male predominance, which is more obvious in Western studies. The PD prevalence and incidence rates are slightly lower in the East compared to the West. Incidence studies on different ethnic populations in the same country have also found a lower occurrence of PD amongst Easterners compared to Westerners. Setting methodological differences aside, studies from East and West suggest a role for both environmental and genetic risk factors in PD causation. Smoking, caffeine intake and pesticide exposure are well-established risk factors across regions. There is a robust data for dairy product consumption, urate levels and physical activity in the West while studies on certain risk factors like head injury and alcohol show conflicting and mixed results.

Traumatic brain injury in the prodromal period of Parkinson's disease: A large epidemiological study using medicare data

OBJECTIVE

Studies suggest a greater risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but it is possible that the risk of TBI is greater in the prodromal period of PD. We aimed to examine the time-to-TBI in PD patients in their prodromal period compared to population-based controls.

METHODS

We identified 89,790 incident PD cases and 118,095 comparable controls aged > 65 years in 2009 using Medicare claims data. Using data from the preceding 5 years, we compared time-to-TBI in PD patients in their prodromal period to controls. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for TBI in a Cox regression, while adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, modified Charlson comorbidity index, smoking, and alcohol use.

RESULTS

Risk of TBI was greater in PD patients in their prodromal period across all age and sex groups, with HRs consistently increasing with proximity to PD diagnosis. HRs ranged from 1.64 (95% CI, 1.52, 1.77) 5 years preceding diagnosis to 3.93 (95% CI, 3.74, 4.13) in the year before. The interaction between PD, TBI, and time was primarily observed for TBI attributed to falls. Motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment, suggested by corresponding International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes, partially mediated the PD-TBI association.

INTERPRETATION

There is a strong association between PD and a recent TBI in the prodromal period of PD. This association strengthens as PD diagnosis approaches and may be a result of undetected nonmotor and motor symptoms, but confirmation will be required. Ann Neurol 2017;82:744-754.

Current trends in etiology, prognosis and therapeutic aspects of Parkinson's disease: a review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder, mainly affecting population consisting of the aged. PD occurs chiefly due to progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in nigrostriatal pathway. Largely, PD patients suffer from non-motor symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep disorders, that needs further investigation and addressing during PD research. Depression in PD is a predominant and complex symptom, and its pathology exists extrinsic to the nigrostriatal system. This disease can  ultimately be managed by a combination of regular physiotherapy and proper medication. Taking together the present scenario of PD, including the nature of disease, characteristics, treatment, diagnosis of the patients with PD, these outcomes were reviewed to be explored along with many speech-based solutions to PD in this study. This neurodegenerative disorder needs advancement in  research and development which  can help patients with PD to lead a normal life.

Nicotine from cigarette smoking and diet and Parkinson disease: a review

Evidence from epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between cigarette smoking and low risk of Parkinson disease (PD). As a major component of tobacco smoke, nicotine has been proposed to be a substance for preventing against PD risk, with a key role in regulating striatal activity and behaviors mediated through the dopaminergic system. Animal studies also showed that nicotine could modulate dopamine transmission and reduce levodopa-induced dyskinesias. However, previous clinical trials yield controversial results regarding nicotine treatment. In this review, we updated epidemiological, preclinical and clinical data, and studies on nicotine from diet. We also reviewed interactions between genetic factors and cigarette smoking. As a small amount of nicotine can saturate a substantial portion of nicotine receptors in the brain, nicotine from other sources, such as diet, could be a promising therapeutic substance for protection against PD.

Current trends in etiology, prognosis and therapeutic aspects of Parkinson's disease: a review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder, mainly affecting population consisting of the aged. PD occurs chiefly due to progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in nigrostriatal pathway. Largely, PD patients suffer from non-motor symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep disorders, that needs further investigation and addressing during PD research. Depression in PD is a predominant and complex symptom, and its pathology exists extrinsic to the nigrostriatal system. This disease can  ultimately be managed by a combination of regular physiotherapy and proper medication. Taking together the present scenario of PD, including the nature of disease, characteristics, treatment, diagnosis of the patients with PD, these outcomes were reviewed to be explored along with many speech-based solutions to PD in this study. This neurodegenerative disorder needs advancement in  research and development which  can help patients with PD to lead a normal life.

Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder and neurodegenerative risk: To tell or not to tell to the patient? How to minimize the risk?

Most people with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) have an underlying synucleinopathy, mainly Parkinson's disease (PD) or dementia with Lewy bodies, with median conversion time of 4-9 y from iRBD diagnosis and of 11-16 y from symptom onset. Subtle signs and imaging tests indicate concomitant neurodegeneration in widespread brain areas. Risk factor studies suggest that iRBD patients may have prior head injury, occupational farming, pesticide exposure, low education level and possibly more frequent family history of dream-enactment behavior (but not of PD), plus unexpected risk factors (smoking, ischemic heart disease and inhaled corticosteroid use). Unlike PD, caffeine and smoking appear not to have a protective role. Prior depression and antidepressant use may be early neurodegenerative signs rather than exclusively causative factors. Age, hyposmia, impaired color vision, abnormal dopaminergic imaging, mild cognitive impairment and possibly sleepiness, may identify patients at greater risk of more rapid conversion. The consensus is to generally disclose the neurodegenerative risk to patients (with the caveat that phenoconversion and its temporal course remain uncertain in individuals without "soft neurodegenerative signs" and those under 50 y of age), to suggest a healthy lifestyle and to take part in prospective cohort studies in anticipation of eventual neuroprotective trials.

Prodromal symptoms of Parkinson's disease: Implications for epidemiological studies of disease etiology

In recent years, there has been a major shift in our understanding of the course of Parkinson's disease (PD) from a disease of the brain to a disease of long latency, characterized by the progressive emergence of multiple non-motor symptoms, including hyposmia, constipation, depression, anxiety, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness, as well as subtle motor signs, before the typical motor signs appear. Epidemiological studies have made major contributions by allowing better characterization of subsequent PD risk in relation to non-motor symptoms. Such findings have profound implications for the conduct of epidemiological studies examining risk and protective factors in PD, and the interpretation of their findings. Given the length of the prodromal period, reverse causation in particular is a major concern with many reported associations. One striking feature of PD etiology, compared with other diseases, is the presence of numerous inverse associations. If these associations are truly causal, they would have major implications for disease prevention and for slowing disease progression. However, whether these associations are truly causal remains to be demonstrated in future studies. Experimental studies play an important role by offering a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Well-designed epidemiological studies using innovative approaches will also be key in elucidating whether these intriguing associations are causal or a consequence of reverse causation.

Safety evaluation and risk assessment of electronic cigarettes as tobacco cigarette substitutes: a systematic review

Electronic cigarettes are a recent development in tobacco harm reduction. They are marketed as less harmful alternatives to smoking. Awareness and use of these devices has grown exponentially in recent years, with millions of people currently using them. This systematic review appraises existing laboratory and clinical research on the potential risks from electronic cigarette use, compared with the well-established devastating effects of smoking tobacco cigarettes. Currently available evidence indicates that electronic cigarettes are by far a less harmful alternative to smoking and significant health benefits are expected in smokers who switch from tobacco to electronic cigarettes. Research will help make electronic cigarettes more effective as smoking substitutes and will better define and further reduce residual risks from use to as low as possible, by establishing appropriate quality control and standards.

A novel (S)-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase gene from Shinella sp. strain HZN7

Nicotine is an important environmental toxicant in tobacco waste. Shinella sp. strain HZN7 can metabolize nicotine into nontoxic compounds via variations of the pyridine and pyrrolidine pathways. However, the catabolic mechanism of this variant pathway at the gene or enzyme level is still unknown. In this study, two 6-hydroxynicotine degradation-deficient mutants, N7-M9 and N7-W3, were generated by transposon mutagenesis. The corresponding mutant genes, designated nctB and tnp2, were cloned and analyzed. The nctB gene encodes a novel flavin adenine dinucleotide-containing (S)-6-hydroxynicotine oxidase that converts (S)-6-hydroxynicotine into 6-hydroxy-N-methylmyosmine and then spontaneously hydrolyzes into 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine. The deletion and complementation of the nctB gene showed that this enzyme is essential for nicotine or (S)-6-hydroxynicotine degradation. Purified NctB could also convert (S)-nicotine into N-methylmyosmine, which spontaneously hydrolyzed into pseudooxynicotine. The kinetic constants of NctB toward (S)-6-hydroxynicotine (Km = 0.019 mM, kcat = 7.3 s(-1)) and nicotine (Km = 2.03 mM, kcat = 0.396 s(-1)) indicated that (S)-6-hydroxynicotine is the preferred substrate in vivo. NctB showed no activities toward the R enantiomer of nicotine or 6-hydroxynicotine. Strain HZN7 could degrade (R)-nicotine into (R)-6-hydroxynicotine without any further degradation. The tnp2 gene from mutant N7-W3 encodes a putative transposase, and its deletion did not abolish the nicotine degradation activity. This study advances the understanding of the microbial diversity of nicotine biodegradation.

The emerging role of nutrition in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in ageing individuals. It is now clear that genetic susceptibility and environmental factors play a role in disease etiology and progression. Because environmental factors are involved with the majority of the cases of PD, it is important to understand the role nutrition plays in both neuroprotection and neurodegeneration. Recent epidemiological studies have revealed the promise of some nutrients in reducing the risk of PD. In contrast, other nutrients may be involved with the etiology of neurodegeneration or exacerbate disease progression. This review summarizes the studies that have addressed these issues and describes in detail the nutrients and their putative mechanisms of action in PD.

Preconditioning provides neuroprotection in models of CNS disease: paradigms and clinical significance

Preconditioning is a phenomenon in which brief episodes of a sublethal insult induce robust protection against subsequent lethal injuries. Preconditioning has been observed in multiple organisms and can occur in the brain as well as other tissues. Extensive animal studies suggest that the brain can be preconditioned to resist acute injuries, such as ischemic stroke, neonatal hypoxia/ischemia, surgical brain injury, trauma, and agents that are used in models of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Effective preconditioning stimuli are numerous and diverse, ranging from transient ischemia, hypoxia, hyperbaric oxygen, hypothermia and hyperthermia, to exposure to neurotoxins and pharmacological agents. The phenomenon of "cross-tolerance," in which a sublethal stress protects against a different type of injury, suggests that different preconditioning stimuli may confer protection against a wide range of injuries. Research conducted over the past few decades indicates that brain preconditioning is complex, involving multiple effectors such as metabolic inhibition, activation of extra- and intracellular defense mechanisms, a shift in the neuronal excitatory/inhibitory balance, and reduction in inflammatory sequelae. An improved understanding of brain preconditioning should help us identify innovative therapeutic strategies that prevent or at least reduce neuronal damage in susceptible patients. In this review, we focus on the experimental evidence of preconditioning in the brain and systematically survey the models used to develop paradigms for neuroprotection, and then discuss the clinical potential of brain preconditioning.

Effects of dietary supplementation with the solanaceae plant alkaloid anatabine on joint pain and stiffness: results from an internet-based survey study

Anatabine is a Solanaceae plant family alkaloid marketed in the United States as a dietary supplement. It has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro, and may be useful for musculoskeletal aches and pains. The purpose of this internet-based survey study was to provide more information about anatabine users who report benefits for joint pain or stiffness. Of the 282 survey respondents, 232 (82%) reported a benefit from anatabine supplementation for one or more joint pain conditions, most commonly the knee, wrists/hands/fingers, shoulder, and back, most often due to osteoarthritis or injury to the joint. Mean scores of joint pain and stiffness were significantly (P < 0.0001) reduced after starting anatabine supplementation, and for most respondents joint pain was virtually eliminated. Around 90% of all individuals rated the effect of anatabine supplementation as good or excellent for joint pain, stiffness, functionality, and overall effects. These results provide evidence that anatabine supplementation can lead to substantial improvement of musculoskeletal aches, pains, and stiffness, and can provide benefits in some individuals for various medical conditions in multiple joint locations.