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| NEUROSCIENCE | ARTICLE


NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE:


PREVENTING


HARNESSING HORMONE THERAPIES


Octavio Viera reviews the literature pertaining to the effect of hormones and related therapies on neurodegenerative disease, including AlzheimerÕs and ParkinsonÕs diseases


ABSTRACT This article discusses the importance of preventing a variety of neurodegenerative diseases looking at dramatic increases worldwide of diagnosis resulting from pollution, nutrition, cerebral functions, and lack of exercise. These deficiencies are greater in the Western world, which contributes to hormonal disruption and exhausts the natural antioxidant system as seen in the lack of glutathione in Parkinson’s disease.


T


HE NERVOUS SYSTEM PLAYS A KEY role in the regulation of neuroendocrine activity and in turn, the released neurohormones modulate the activity of different regions of the brain. Neurodegenerative diseases affecting


specific neuronal populations may provoke neuroendocrine dysfunctions, such as decreased production of dopamine in the substantia nigra and a decreased secretion of growth hormone (GH). Dopamine stimulates this secretion, and, in turn, decreased GH levels decrease cerebral blood flow associated with a rarefaction of cerebral blood vessels1


. Normally, GH and


the liver derivative IGF-1 increase progenitor cell proliferation and new neurons, oligodendrocytes and blood vessels in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The decrement of GH/IGF-1 hinders this process and neuroprotective effects such as myelination, which alter the relationship between both systems. In addition, these modifications may influence the progression of the neurodegenerative disease process. If the thyroid


gland is not stimulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced in the hypothalamicÐ pituitary system, the result is a thyroid deficiency. In such cases, all parts of the brain work slowly, causing neurodegenerative diseases to worsen. Initially, it was thought that hormones only acted in the


hypothalamus to perform endocrine functions, but it is now known that they exert diverse actions on many different regions of the brain, including the hypothalamus. In pathological conditions, neuropeptide Y (NPY) changes the glutamate release evoked by the hypothalamus. The ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus is subdivided into sections, all of which may project to specific locations to carry out a variety of functions. For example, the ventrolateral quadrant contains a subset of neurons that highly express oestrogen receptors. These neurons are specifically involved in the lordosis response pathway through projections to other oestrogen receptor-containing regions. This is important in the regulation of female sexual behaviour, feeding, energy balance, and cardiovascular function2


.


The ageing process The natural process of ageing oscillates between molecular damage and energy dysregulation. Molecular damage can be seen in DNA oxidation and mutations, protein modifications and aggregation, and lipid peroxidation. DNA oxidation is the process of oxidative damage to DNA and is widely believed to be linked to


OCTAVIO VIERA is a practising paediatrician with specialities in neonatology and general paediatrics. He has a number of qualifications in the field of anti-ageing including the prediction, prevention, restoration, and optimisation of all functions and systems to promote wellbeing while maximising efficiency and longevity.


email: oviera@yahoo.com


KEYWORDS Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, oestrogen, ageing, melatonin, hormone replacement therapy


prime-journal.com | June 2012 ❚ 45


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