dihydropyridines and Parkinson-Disease--Secondary

Pacemaking activity in adult substantia nigra (SN) dopamine neurons relies on L-type Ca2+ channels, but a surprising study in Nature by Chan et al. demonstrates that blockade of these channels by dihydropyridines re-establishes the pacemaking driven by sodium and HCN channels found in juvenile SN. This shift protects SN neurons in chemical models of Parkinson's disease (PD), suggesting that elevated intracellular Ca2+ participates in SN cell loss and that dihydropyridines may provide therapy in PD.

Topics: Animals; Antiparkinson Agents; Biological Clocks; Calcium Channels, L-Type; Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels; Dihydropyridines; Humans; Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels; Parkinson Disease; Parkinson Disease, Secondary; Potassium Channels; Substantia Nigra

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antihypertensive Agents; Antiparkinson Agents; Dihydropyridines; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Neurologic Examination; Nitrobenzenes; Parkinson Disease; Parkinson Disease, Secondary; Piperazines