NEPPs, A Possible Palliative for Neurological Injury
It is widely known that neurotoxic levels of glutamate are released in the brains of stroke victims and Alzheimer's patients. A research team from La Jolla, CA, has discovered one possible way to protect from the neurotoxic effects of glutamate release.
The research team discovered that certain electrophilic compounds, NEPPs (NEurite outgrowth-Promoting Prostaglandins), induce nerves cells in the brain and the spine to release natural antioxidants that protect these cells from the free radical stress that results from excitotoxicity by activating the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway which regulates the production of these antioxidants.
“This is the first reported evidence that this protective response can be activated directly in nerve cells to release antioxidants and counter oxidative stress,” says Stuart Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., senior author of the study and director of the Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences and Aging at the Burnham Institute.
This abstract discusses parallel research on NEPPS from Japan.
The molecular level of life is a complex balance of conflicting chemical and physical reactions. When the balance is disturbed, as in disease processes, a profound knowledge of this underlying balance is necessary in order to utilise the inbuilt protectors of vital cells.
The research team discovered that certain electrophilic compounds, NEPPs (NEurite outgrowth-Promoting Prostaglandins), induce nerves cells in the brain and the spine to release natural antioxidants that protect these cells from the free radical stress that results from excitotoxicity by activating the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway which regulates the production of these antioxidants.
“This is the first reported evidence that this protective response can be activated directly in nerve cells to release antioxidants and counter oxidative stress,” says Stuart Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., senior author of the study and director of the Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences and Aging at the Burnham Institute.
This abstract discusses parallel research on NEPPS from Japan.
The molecular level of life is a complex balance of conflicting chemical and physical reactions. When the balance is disturbed, as in disease processes, a profound knowledge of this underlying balance is necessary in order to utilise the inbuilt protectors of vital cells.
Labels: Alzheimer's
posted by al fin at 4:26 pm
3 Comments:
Thanks for including CUANAS on your blogroll. I came across your site the other day, and I find it fascinating. I need to make it a habit to stop by every day.
Keep up the good work.
Your singularity post was a classic. Consider writing more posts on that topic. I do agree with your basic thrust of the need to protect western civilisation.
Thanks for the compliment. You know, I come at it as a guy with a background in Philosophy and Religion. No science. So, I wondered if I was going off and making a buffoon of myself.
I guess not.
I want to write on the Singularity every day. I have gotten off track the past few days because the Pope Benedict thing has taken a lot of my time, and I have been engaged in a debate with Hugh Fitzgerald over at Jihad Watch.
I need to collect all the things I've written on the Singularity and put them on my sidebar, because I'm thinking of taking CUANAS more in that direction, and moving all the politics over to Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Your site is a find for me.
Talk to you soon.
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