A Scientometric Analysis and Visualization of Research on Parkinson's Disease Associated With Pesticide Exposure

A Bibliometric Review of Constituents, Themes, and Trends in Online Medical Consultation Research

As an emerging form of health care with accelerated growth in recent years, online medical consultation (OMC) has received extensive attention worldwide. Although the number of studies on OMC has increased substantially, few provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of OMC's research constituents, themes, and trends. This study, therefore, extracted 1,801 OMC-related articles published in English from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database during the past 30 years and employed a bibliometric analysis of WoS and CiteSpace to examine major constituents' distribution, collaboration relationships, themes, and trends. The results indicate that the United States, England, and China contributed the most to the proliferation of OMC studies. The United States had the greatest academic influence and the most collaborative connections, while China demonstrated the sharpest increase and most active development in recent years. However, there is a lack of substantial and close collaboration between researchers worldwide. The main themes of OMC research were Internet hospitals, COVID-19, mixed methods, online health community, and information technology. Researchers have recently shifted their attention to social media, management, efficacy, word of mouth, mental health, and anxiety. This review paper provides researchers and practitioners with a holistic and clear understanding of the features and trends of OMC research. It also identifies potential areas for future OMC research and sheds light on OMC practices.

Towards improved screening of toxins for Parkinson's risk

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive and disabling neurodegenerative disorder. The prevalence of PD has risen considerably over the past decades. A growing body of evidence suggest that exposure to environmental toxins, including pesticides, solvents and heavy metals (collectively called toxins), is at least in part responsible for this rapid growth. It is worrying that the current screening procedures being applied internationally to test for possible neurotoxicity of specific compounds offer inadequate insights into the risk of developing PD in humans. Improved screening procedures are therefore urgently needed. Our review first substantiates current evidence on the relation between exposure to environmental toxins and the risk of developing PD. We subsequently propose to replace the current standard toxin screening by a well-controlled multi-tier toxin screening involving the following steps: in silico studies (tier 1) followed by in vitro tests (tier 2), aiming to prioritize agents with human relevant routes of exposure. More in depth studies can be undertaken in tier 3, with whole-organism (in)vertebrate models. Tier 4 has a dedicated focus on cell loss in the substantia nigra and on the presumed mechanisms of neurotoxicity in rodent models, which are required to confirm or refute the possible neurotoxicity of any individual compound. This improved screening procedure should not only evaluate new pesticides that seek access to the market, but also critically assess all pesticides that are being used today, acknowledging that none of these has ever been proven to be safe from a perspective of PD. Importantly, the improved screening procedures should not just assess the neurotoxic risk of isolated compounds, but should also specifically look at the cumulative risk conveyed by exposure to commonly used combinations of pesticides (cocktails). The worldwide implementation of such an improved screening procedure, would be an essential step for policy makers and governments to recognize PD-related environmental risk factors.

Association Study Between Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase (KMO) Gene and Parkinson's Disease Patients

The influence of various risk factors such as aging, intricate cellular molecular processes, and lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake, and occupational factors has received increased focus in relation to the risk and development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Limited research has been conducted on the assessment of lifestyle impact on kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) gene in PD. A total of 164 subjects, including 82 PD cases and 82 healthy individuals, were recruited based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The severity of PD and clinical assessment were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scaling. Sanger sequencing was performed to analyse the KMO gene in the recruited subjects, and case-control studies were conducted. The UPDRS assessment revealed significant impairments in smell, tremors, walking, and posture instability in the late-onset PD cohorts. The HY scaling indicated a higher proportion of late-onset cohorts in stage 2. Moreover, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic groups showed significantly increased levels of 3-HK in late-onset PD. Gene analysis identified missense variants at position g.241593373 T > A (rs752312199) and intronic variants at positions g.241592623A > G (rs640718), g.241592800C > A (rs990388262), g.241592802A > C (rs1350160268), g.241592808 T > C (rs1478255936), and g.241592812G > T (rs948928931). The alterations in the KMO gene were found to influence the levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK). Genomic analysis revealed a high prevalence of missense mutations in the late-onset PD groups, leading to a decline in 3-HK levels in patients. This leads to the reduction of the progression of disease in late-onset groups which shows that this mutation may lead to the protective effect on the PD subjects. This study suggests the use of KYNA and 3-HK as potential biomarkers in analysing the progression of disease. This study is limited by its small sample size. To overcome this limitation, a larger study involving in greater number of participants is needed to thoroughly investigate the KMO gene and KP metabolites, to enhance our understanding of Parkinson's disease progression, and to enhance diagnostic capabilities.

Global trajectory and future prospects of metronomic chemotherapy research: A scientometric analysis (2000-2022)

This scientometric study aimed to provide a first comprehensive overview of the global research landscape of Metronomic Chemotherapy (MC) from 2000 to 2022 using a data-driven approach to identify key trends, collaborations, and potential opportunities. This study highlights the increasing prevalence of MC, with annual outputs increasing substantially over the same timeframe. The United States contributed the most to MC research, followed by Italy and China, while there was a lack of collaborative research efforts between countries and organizations. Through keyword co-occurrence analysis, we identified emerging interdisciplinary research areas, such as "nanoparticles," "immunotherapy," and "antitumor immunity." Our citation analysis identified the most influential authors, institutions, and journals, providing a comprehensive overview of the structure of knowledge and dissemination of MC research. Although the number of publications has decreased since 2019, the analysis indicates that this field has received substantial scholarly attention. These discoveries are extremely important for researchers, funding organizations, and policymakers because they highlight the need for more collaboration, interdisciplinary approaches, and resource allocation in underrepresented fields. This study concludes with recommendations for guiding future research and collaboration, resulting in a larger impact and fostering substantial advancements in MC research.

Bacillus thuringiensis pesticidal toxins: A global analysis based on a scientometric study (1980-2021)

Several studies have been conducted on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) pesticidal toxins due to their successful environmentally friendly biopesticide activity against various insect pest orders, protozoa, mites, and nematodes. However, no existing study has systematically examined the trends and evolution of research on Bt pesticidal toxins from a scientometric perspective. This study aimed to analyze the trends and hotspots of global research in this field. 5757 publications on Bt pesticidal toxins were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) from 1980 to 2021. Statistical and scientometric analyses were performed using Excel, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer visualization tools to evaluate research evolution, journal contribution and subject categories, contributing countries and institutions, highly influential references, and most used author keywords. The 5757 publications featured in 917 journals spanning 116 subject categories. The top 5 subject categories ranked as Entomology, Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology, Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Agriculture. Out of these publications, the USA contributed the most, with 1562 publications, 72,754 citations, and 46.58 average citations per paper (ACPP); however, Belgium had the highest (106.43) ACPP among the top 20 contributing countries. The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences is the leading institution with 298 publications and 21.20 ACPP. The Pasteur Institute is ranked first (90.04) in terms of ACPP. Keywords analyses revealed that recent studies are inclined toward the evolution of insect resistance against Bt toxins. In future, studies related to the development of resistance mechanisms by insects against Bt pesticidal toxins and ways to overcome them will likely receive more attention. This study highlights the past and current situations and prospective directions of Bt pesticidal toxins-related research.

A State-of-Art Review of the Metal Oxide-Based Nanomaterials Effect on Photocatalytic Degradation of Malachite Green Dyes and a Bibliometric Analysis

A wide range of hard contaminants in wastewater is generated from different industries as byproducts of the organic compound. In this review, various metal oxide-based nanomaterials are employed for the photocatalytic removal of malachite green (MG) dye from wastewater. Some cost-effective and appropriate testing conditions are used for degrading these hard dyes to get higher removal efficiency. The effects of specific parameters are considered such as how the catalyst is made, how much dye is in the solution at first, how much nanocatalyst is needed to break down the dye, the initial pH of the dye solution, the type of light source used, the year of publications, and how long the dye has to be exposed to light to be removed. This study suggests that Scopus-based core collected data employ bibliometric methods to provide an objective analysis of global MG dye from 2011 to 2022 (12 years). The Scopus database collects all the information (articles, authors, keywords, and publications). For bibliometric analysis, 658 publications are retrieved corresponding to MG dye photodegradation, and the number of publications increases annually. A bibliometric study reveals a state-of-art review of metal oxide-based nanomaterials' effects on photocatalytic degradation of MG dyes (12 years).

A pesticide and iPSC dopaminergic neuron screen identifies and classifies Parkinson-relevant pesticides

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with etiology rooted in genetic vulnerability and environmental factors. Here we combine quantitative epidemiologic study of pesticide exposures and PD with toxicity screening in dopaminergic neurons derived from PD patient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to identify Parkinson's-relevant pesticides. Agricultural records enable investigation of 288 specific pesticides and PD risk in a comprehensive, pesticide-wide association study. We associate long-term exposure to 53 pesticides with PD and identify co-exposure profiles. We then employ a live-cell imaging screening paradigm exposing dopaminergic neurons to 39 PD-associated pesticides. We find that 10 pesticides are directly toxic to these neurons. Further, we analyze pesticides typically used in combinations in cotton farming, demonstrating that co-exposures result in greater toxicity than any single pesticide. We find trifluralin is a driver of toxicity to dopaminergic neurons and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction. Our paradigm may prove useful to mechanistically dissect pesticide exposures implicated in PD risk and guide agricultural policy.

Neuroprotective Effect of Phloretin in Rotenone-Induced Mice Model of Parkinson's Disease: Modulating mTOR-NRF2-p62 Mediated Autophagy-Oxidative Stress Crosstalk

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related progressive multifactorial, neurodegenerative disease. The autophagy and Keap1-Nrf2 axis system are both implicated in the oxidative-stress response, metabolic stress, and innate immunity, and their dysregulation is associated with pathogenic processes in PD. Phloretin (PLT) is a phenolic compound reported possessing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the neuroprotective potential of PLT in PD via modulating the autophagy-antioxidant axisMethods:The neuroprotective effect of PLT was evaluated in vitro using rotenone (ROT) exposed SH-SY5Y cell line and in vivo using ROT administered C57BL/6 mice. Mice were administered with PLT (50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) concomitantly with ROT (1 mg/kg, i.p) for 3 weeks. Locomotive activity and anxiety behaviors were assessed using rotarod and open field tests respectively. Further apoptosis (Cytochrome-C, Bax), α-Synuclein (α-SYN), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), antioxidant proteins (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and autophagic (mTOR, Atg5,7, p62, Beclin,LC3B-I/II) protein activity were evaluated both in in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

PLT improved locomotive activity and anxiety-like behavior in mice. Further PLT diminished apoptotic cell death, α-SYN expression and improved the expression of TH, antioxidant, and autophagic regulating protein.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, present data deciphers that the PLT effectively improves motor and non-motor symptoms via modulating the mTOR/NRF2/p62 pathway-mediated feedback loop. Hence, PLT could emerge as a prospective disease-modifying drug for PD management.

Attenuation of hexaconazole induced oxidative stress by folic acid, malic acid and ferrocenecarboxaldehyde in an invertebrate model Bombyx mori

Fungicides are a class of pesticides used to ward off fungal diseases from agricultural crops to achieve maximum productivity. These chemicals are quite efficient in controlling diseases; however, the excessive use of these affects non-target organisms as well. In this study, Bombyx mori was utilized to investigate the effect of the pesticide hexaconazole (HEX) on the antioxidant system of this organism and also to find ways to mitigate it. On oral exposure to this chemical, a significant reduction in antioxidants, CAT, GPX, GSH, and SOD in the gut, fat body, and silk gland was observed. The HEX treatment also resulted in lipid peroxidation (LPO) in all the three tissues. To mitigate this toxicity and protect the silkworm from oxidative stress, we tested three compounds, namely folic acid, ferrocenecarboxaldehyde, and malic acid having known antioxidant potential. Folic acid provided significant protection against HEX-induced toxicity. Ferrocenecarboxaldehyde and malic acid proved to be ill-efficient in controlling oxidative stress, with ferrocenecarboxaldehyde being the least effective of the three. Folic acid was also efficient in controlling LPO up to a considerable level. Ferrocenecarboxaldehyde and malic acid also prevented LPO less efficiently than folic acid. Overall folic acid was the only compound that mitigated HEX-induced oxidative stress in silkworm with statistical significance in all the tissues viz. gut, fat body, and silk gland.

Epidemiology meets toxicogenomics: Mining toxicologic evidence in support of an untargeted analysis of pesticides exposure and Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Pesticides have been widely used in agriculture for more than half a century. However, with thousands currently in use, most have not been adequately assessed for influence Parkinson's disease (PD).

OBJECTIVES

Here we aimed to assess biologic plausibility of 70 pesticides implicated with PD through an agnostic pesticide-wide association study using a data mining approach linking toxicology and toxicogenomics databases.

METHODS

We linked the 70 targeted pesticides to quantitative high-throughput screening assay findings from the Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) program and pesticide-related genetic/disease information with the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). We used the CTD to determine networks of genes each pesticide has been linked to and assess enrichment of relevant gene ontology (GO) annotations. With Tox21, we evaluated pesticide induced activity on a series of 43 nuclear receptor and stress response assays and two cytotoxicity assays.

RESULTS

Overall, 59 % of the 70 pesticides had chemical-gene networks including at least one PD gene/gene product. In total, 41 % of the pesticides had chemical-gene networks enriched for ≥ 1 high-priority PD GO terms. For instance, 23 pesticides had chemical-gene networks enriched for response to oxidative stress, 21 for regulation of neuron death, and twelve for autophagy, including copper sulfate, endosulfan and chlorpyrifos. Of the pesticides tested against the Tox21 assays, 79 % showed activity on ≥ 1 assay and 11 were toxic to the two human cell lines. The set of PD-associated pesticides showed more activity than expected on assays testing for xenobiotic homeostasis, mitochondrial membrane permeability, and genotoxic stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, cross-database queries allowed us to connect a targeted set of pesticides implicated in PD via epidemiology to specific biologic targets relevant to PD etiology. This knowledge can be used to help prioritize targets for future experimental studies and improve our understanding of the role of pesticides in PD etiology.

Exposure to the environmentally toxic pesticide maneb induces Parkinson's disease-like neurotoxicity in mice: A combined proteomic and metabolomic analysis

Maneb is a typical dithiocarbamate fungicide that has been extensively used worldwide. Epidemiological evidence shows that exposure to maneb is an environmental risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanisms underlying maneb-induced neurotoxicity have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we exposed SH-SY5Y cells to maneb at environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 0.1, 5, 10 mg/L) and found that maneb dose-dependently decreased the cell viability. Furthermore, maneb (60 mg/kg) induced PD-like motor impairment in α-synuclein A53T transgenic mice. The results of tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics and metabolomics studies of mouse brain and serum revealed significant changes in proteins and metabolites in the pathways involved in the neurotransmitter system. The omics results were verified by targeted metabolomics and Western blot analysis, which demonstrated that maneb induced disturbance of the PD-related pathways, including the phenylalanine and tryptophan metabolism pathways, dopaminergic synapse, synaptic vesicle cycle, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. In addition, the PD-like phenotype induced by maneb was attenuated by the asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) inhibitor compound #11 (CP11) (10 mg/kg), indicating that AEP may play a role in maneb-induced neurotoxicity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying maneb-induced PD-like phenotypes using multiomics analysis, which identified novel therapeutic targets for PD associated with pesticides and other environmental pollutants.

Research trends on endoscopic mucosal resection: A bibliometric analysis from 1991 to 2021

Background

In recent years, the rapid development of digestive endoscopy technology has brought revolutionary changes to endoscopic therapy. A growing number of articles have been published annually. We aimed to explore global scientific outputs and hotspots of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) published by different countries, organizations, and authors.

Methods

We extracted relevant publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) on June 23, 2022. We examined the retrieved data by bibliometric analysis (e.g., cocited and cluster analysis, keyword co-occurrence) using the software CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze and predict the trends and hot spots in this field.

Results

A total of 2,695 papers were finally identified. The results showed that the number of articles fluctuated with the year and reached its peak in 2021. NATIONAL CANCER CENTER JAPAN was the most influential institution. MICHAEL J BOURKE and YUTAKA SAITO are two of the most prolific scholars. ENDOSCOPY and GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY were the most productive journals. “Early gastric cancer” and “Barrett's esophagus” were the focus of EMR research. “Adverse events”, “cold snare polypectomy” and “outcomes” have become increasingly popular in recent years and could become hot spots in the future.

Conclusion

In this study, we summarized the characteristics of the publications; identified the most influential countries, institutions, and journals; and identified the leading topics in the EMR field.

A Knowledge Map Study of an Application of a Smart Land Planning Free-Trade Zone and China’s Contribution

The use of a free-trade zone (FTZ) has emerged as a smart land tool in increasing trading, attracting foreign investment, attempting financial openness and conducting other pilot economic reforms, which adds higher requirements for smart spatial planning, smart industry planning and smart management planning. However, no systematic analysis has been performed, making it difficult to provide deeper insights into FTZs. Thus, this study conducted bibliometric and visual analysis to identify the research status, new theories or practices, and potential future directions of FTZs based on 953 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection. The results show that there is a marked rise in the number of FTZ studies since 2013, which is the same year China authorized the first FTZ in Shanghai. China and the United States of America have played a leading role in FTZ research. Finally, the increasing trend in FTZ utilization will remain sizeable during its deepening development. The findings may contribute to a better understanding of FTZs and make some references to smart land-use planning experience and practices around the globe.

Life style and Parkinson's disease

The question whether life style may impair the advent or course of the disease in patients with Parkinsonism is of great importance for patients and physicians alike. We present here comprehensive information on the influence of the environment, diet (especially caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, chocolate and dairy products), physical activity and sleep on risk and course of Parkinson’s disease.

Exploring machine learning: a scientometrics approach using bibliometrix and VOSviewer

Machine Learning has found application in solving complex problems in different fields of human endeavors such as intelligent gaming, automated transportation, cyborg technology, environmental protection, enhanced health care, innovation in banking and home security, and smart homes. This research is motivated by the need to explore the global structure of machine learning to ascertain the level of bibliographic coupling, collaboration among research institutions, co-authorship network of countries, and sources coupling in publications on machine learning techniques. The Hierarchical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (HDBSCAN) was applied to clustering prediction of authors dominance ranking in this paper. Publications related to machine learning were retrieved and extracted from the Dimensions database with no language restrictions. Bibliometrix was employed in computation and visualization to extract bibliographic information and perform a descriptive analysis. VOSviewer (version 1.6.16) tool was used to construct and visualize structure map of source coupling networks of researchers and co-authorship. About 10,814 research papers on machine learning published from 2010 to 2020 were retrieved for the research. Experimental results showed that the highest degree of betweenness centrality was obtained from cluster 3 with 153.86 from the University of California and Harvard University with 24.70. In cluster 1, the national university of Singapore has the highest degree betweenness of 91.72. Also, in cluster 5, the University of Cambridge (52.24) and imperial college London (4.52) having the highest betweenness centrality manifesting that he could control the collaborative relationship and that they possessed and controlled a large number of research resources. Findings revealed that this work has the potential to provide valuable guidance for new perspectives and future research work in the rapidly developing field of machine learning.

Atremorine in Parkinson's disease: From dopaminergic neuroprotection to pharmacogenomics

Atremorine is a novel bioproduct obtained by nondenaturing biotechnological processes from a genetic species of Vicia faba. Atremorine is a potent dopamine (DA) enhancer with powerful effects on the neuronal dopaminergic system, acting as a neuroprotective agent in Parkinson's disease (PD). Over 97% of PD patients respond to a single dose of Atremorine (5 g, p.o.) 1 h after administration. This response is gender-, time-, dose-, and genotype-dependent, with optimal doses ranging from 5 to 20 g/day, depending upon disease severity and concomitant medication. Drug-free patients show an increase in DA levels from 12.14 ± 0.34 pg/ml to 6463.21 ± 1306.90 pg/ml; and patients chronically treated with anti-PD drugs show an increase in DA levels from 1321.53 ± 389.94 pg/ml to 16,028.54 ± 4783.98 pg/ml, indicating that Atremorine potentiates the dopaminergic effects of conventional anti-PD drugs. Atremorine also influences the levels of other neurotransmitters (adrenaline, noradrenaline) and hormones which are regulated by DA (e.g., prolactin, PRL), with no effect on serotonin or histamine. The variability in Atremorine-induced DA response is highly attributable to pharmacogenetic factors. Polymorphic variants in pathogenic (SNCA, NUCKS1, ITGA8, GPNMB, GCH1, BCKDK, APOE, LRRK2, ACMSD), mechanistic (DRD2), metabolic (CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4/5, NAT2), transporter (ABCB1, SLC6A2, SLC6A3, SLC6A4) and pleiotropic genes (APOE) influence the DA response to Atremorine and its psychomotor and brain effects. Atremorine enhances DNA methylation and displays epigenetic activity via modulation of the pharmacoepigenetic network. Atremorine is a novel neuroprotective agent for dopaminergic neurons with potential prophylactic and therapeutic activity in PD.

"Metal elements and pesticides as risk factors for Parkinson's disease - A review"

Essential metals including iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) with known physiological functions in human body play an important role in cell homeostasis. Excessive exposure to these essential as well as non-essential metals including mercury (Hg) and Aluminum (Al) may contribute to pathological conditions, including PD. Each metal could be toxic through specific pathways. Epidemiological evidences from occupational and ecological studies besides various in vivo and in vitro studies have revealed the possible pathogenic role and neurotoxicity of different metals. Pesticides are substances that aim to mitigate the harm done by pests to plants and crops, and are extensively used to boost agricultural production. This review provides an outline of our current knowledge on the possible association between metals and PD. We have discussed the potential association between these two, furthermore the chemical properties, biological and toxicological aspects as well as possible mechanisms of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Al, Ca, Pb, Hg and Zn in PD pathogenesis. In addition, we review recent evidence on deregulated microRNAs upon pesticide exposure and possible role of deregulated miRNA and pesticides to PD pathogenesis.

ADORA2A rs5760423 and CYP1A2 rs762551 Polymorphisms as Risk Factors for Parkinson's Disease

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second commonest neurodegenerative disease. The genetic basis of PD is indisputable. Both ADORA2A rs5760423 and CYP1A2 rs762551 have been linked to PD, to some extent, but the exact role of those polymorphisms in PD remains controversial. Objective: We assessed the role of ADORA2A rs5760423 and CYP1A2 rs762551 on PD risk. Methods: We genotyped 358 patients with PD and 358 healthy controls for ADORA2A rs5760423 and CYP1A2 rs762551. We also merged and meta-analyzed our data with data from previous studies, regarding these two polymorphisms and PD. Results: No significant association with PD was revealed (p > 0.05), for either ADORA2A rs5760423 or CYP1A2 rs762551, in any of the examined genetic model of inheritance. In addition, results from meta-analyses yield negative results. Conclusions: Based on our analyses, it appears rather unlikely that ADORA2A rs5760423 or CYP1A2 rs762551 is among the major risk factors for PD, at least in Greek patients with PD.

The association between toxic pesticide environmental exposure and Alzheimer's disease: A scientometric and visualization analysis

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. The association between environmental factors (e.g., pesticide) and AD has attracted considerable attention. However, no systematic analysis has been performed and make it difficult to provide deeper insights of AD correlated with pesticide exposure. Hence, this study utilized a bibliometric and visual approach that included map collaborations, co-citations, and keywords, to identifying the knowledge structure, hot topics and the research trends based on 372 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed databases. The results showed that 116 institutions from 52 countries published articles in this field. The United States and Israel played a leading role with numerous publications in related journals, as well as prolific institutions and authors, respectively. Three hot topics in pesticide-induced AD were recognized based on co-occurrence keywords detection, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, oxidative stress, and AChE. Moreover, analysis of keywords burst suggests that some potential molecular mechanisms and therapy targets of pesticide-induced AD, especially for mitochondrial dysfunction and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) that catalyzes the oxidative deamination and causes oxidative stress, are emerging trends. In addition, the study of various pesticides and the assessment method of pesticide exposure will step forward as well. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to specifically visualize the relationship between AD and pesticide exposure and to predict potential future research directions.

Parkinson's disease and pesticides: Are microRNAs the missing link?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that leads to significant morbidity and decline in the quality of life. It develops due to loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, and among its pathogenic factors oxidative stress plays a critical role in disease progression. Pesticides are a broad class of chemicals widely used in agriculture and households for the protection of crops from insects and fungi. Several of them have been incriminated as risk factors for PD, but the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that play an important role in regulating mRNA translation and protein synthesis. miRNA levels have been shown to be affected in several diseases as well. Since the studies on the association between pesticides and PD have yet to reach definitive conclusions, here we review recent evidence on deregulated microRNAs upon pesticide exposure, and attempt to find an overlap between miRNAs deregulated in PD and pesticides, as a missing link between the two, and enhance future research in this direction.