How exercise can slow progression of Parkinson s disease

New York Dec 23 (IANS) Exercise can stop accumulation of a harmful protein which is believed to play a central role in the brain cell death associated with Parkinson s disease new research has found.

Engaging in exercise on a running wheel can stop the accumulation of the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein in brain cells showed the study published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Parkinson s disease causes progressive loss of muscle control trembling stiffness slowness and impaired balance.

"Our experiments show that exercise can get to the heart of the problem in Parkinson s disease " said one of the researchers Curt Freed Professor at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the US.

"People with Parkinson s who exercise are likely able to keep their brain cells from dying " Freed added.

The experiment was conducted in a mouse model of Parkinson s and the mice in the study like humans started to get Parkinson s symptoms in mid-life. At 12 months of age running wheels were put in their cages.

The researcehrs found that in the running mice exercise increased brain and muscle expression of a key protective gene called DJ-1 compared to control transgenic animals which had locked running wheels.

Those rare humans born with a mutation in their DJ-1 gene are guaranteed to get severe Parkinson s at a relatively young age.

The researchers tested mice that were missing the DJ-1 gene and discovered that their ability to run had severely declined suggesting that the DJ-1 protein is required for normal movement.

"Our results indicate that exercise may slow the progression of Parkinson s disease by turning on the protective gene DJ-1 and thereby preventing abnormal protein accumulation in brain " Freed said.

He explained that his animal experiments had very real implications for humans.

Parkinson s is a disease caused by the death of brain cells that make a critical chemical called dopamine. Without dopamine voluntary movement is impossible.

--IANS
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