The role of environmental agents in Parkinson's disease

Experimental, clinical and epidemiological evidence indicates that exposure to environmental agents may contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The development of animal models of toxicant-induced nigrostriatal injury has furthered our understanding of mechanisms of neurodegeneration and will help us to identify compounds or classes of compounds as potential PD risk factors. Examples are rodent models utilizing the pesticides paraquat or rotenone. Important implications for PD are also likely to arise from knowledge of synergistic environmental interactions (e.g. the paraquat/maneb model), as well as relationships between exogenous and endogenous factors. In particular, the endogenous protein a-synuclein, recently linked to PD pathophysiology. could play an important role in the neurodegenerative process triggered by toxicant exposure. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.