Cerebrospinal fluid protein biomarkers in Parkinson's disease.

Proteomic profiling is an effective way to identify biomarkers for Parkinson's disease (PD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has direct connectivity with the brain and could be a source of finding biomarkers and their clinical implications. Comparative proteomic profiling has shown that a group of differentially displayed proteins exist. The studies performed using conventional and classical tools also supported the occurrence of these proteins. Many studies have highlighted the potential of CSF proteomic profiling for biomarker identification and their clinical applications. Some of these proteins are useful for disease diagnosis and prediction. Proteomic profiling of CSF also has immense potential to distinguish PD from similar neurodegenerative disorders. A few protein biomarkers help in fundamental knowledge generation and clinical interpretation. However, the specific biomarker of PD is not yet known. The use of proteomic approaches in clinical settings is also rare. A large-scale, multi-centric, multi-population and multi-continental study using multiple proteomic tools is warranted. Such a study can provide valuable, comprehensive and reliable information for a better understanding of PD and the development of specific biomarkers. The current article sheds light on the role of CSF proteomic profiling in identifying biomarkers of PD and their clinical implications. The article also explains the achievements, obstacles and hopes for future directions of this approach.

Cypermethrin alters the status of oxidative stress in the peripheral blood: relevance to Parkinsonism

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a motor scarcity disorder characterized by the striatal dopamine deficiency owing to the selective degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. While oxidative stress is implicated in PD, prolonged exposure to moderate dose of cypermethrin induces Parkinsonism. The study aimed to investigate the status of oxidative stress indicators and antioxidant defence system of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), platelets and plasma to delineate the effect of Parkinsonian dose of cypermethrin in the peripheral blood of rats and its subsequent relevance to Parkinsonism. Nitrite content, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were measured in the PMNs, platelets and plasma of control and cypermethrin-treated rats in the presence or absence of a microglial activation inhibitor, minocycline or a dopamine precursor containing the peripheral 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase inhibitor, named syndopa, employing the standard procedures. The striatal dopamine was measured to assess the degree of neurodegeneration/neuroprotection. Cypermethrin increased nitrite and LPO in the plasma, platelets and PMNs while it reduced the striatal dopamine content. Catalase and GST activity were increased in the PMNs and platelets; however, it was reduced in the plasma. Conversely, SOD and GR activities were reduced in the PMNs and platelets but increased in the plasma. Minocycline or syndopa reduced the cypermethrin-mediated changes towards normalcy. The results demonstrate that cypermethrin alters the status of oxidative stress indicators and impairs antioxidant defence system of the peripheral blood, which could be effectively salvaged by minocycline or syndopa. The results could be of value for predicting the nigrostriatal toxicity relevant to Parkinsonism (AU)

Toxic potential of municipal solid waste leachates in transgenic Drosophila melanogaster (hsp70-lacZ): hsp70 as a marker of cellular damage.

Municipal solid wastes (MSWs) are one of the major sources of environmental pollution. Leachates from these wastes might contaminate the water sources and affect quality of environment. The study was carried out to determine the possible toxic effects of leachates from MSW in transgenic Drosophila melanogaster (hsp70-lacZ). Third instar larvae exposed to 1.0-3.0% of these leachates at different time intervals were examined for hsp70 expression, oxidative stress enzyme activities, proteotoxicity, tissue damage along with effect on emergence and reproduction. Maximum hsp70 expression was observed in the larvae exposed to highly acidic leachates. Overwhelming of hsp70 expression in the exposed larvae caused a concomitant decline in total protein content and a significant elevation in oxidative stress enzymes and lipid peroxidation (LPO) product. The leachates caused a significant delay in emergence of flies and affected the reproductive performance of the flies at the tested concentrations. The present study highlights the toxic potential of MSW leachates and the advantage of Drosophila as a model to evaluate the impact of leachates at organismal and cellular levels, also advocating Hsp70 as the first tier indicator of toxicity.