“Exposure to a group of common pesticides, called dithiocarbamates, has long been associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, although the mechanism by which the compounds exert their toxicity on the brain has not been completely understood. A new UCLA study sheds light on the toxicity of the compounds…”
“…In the new study, conducted in zebrafish, researchers found that elimination of the α-synuclein protein protected the zebrafish against the ziram-induced loss of dopamine neurons. Because most cases of Parkinson’s disease appear to be at least partially caused by environmental factors such as pesticide exposure, these findings support the approach that targeting α-synuclein could slow or stop the progression of Parkinson’s in most people with the disease”
Jeff M. Bronstein, Alvaro Sagasti, Thomas Schrader, Frank-Gerrit Klärner, Chase Yamashiro, Mark C. Stahl, Kelley O’Donnell, Binh Nguyen, Magdalena I. Ivanova, Gal Bitan, Lisa Barnhill, Aaron Lulla. Neurotoxicity of the Parkinson’s Disease-Associated Pesticide Ziram Is Synuclein-Dependent in Zebrafish Embryos. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2016; DOI: 10.1289/EHP141