Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand)
September 2011
Increase in the cellular burden of oxidative stress is critically involved in various pathological manifestations of aging, including age-related neurological disorders. Dietary restriction can lower reactive oxygen species formation, and thereby lower oxidative damage in the brain. The brain consists of a diverse group of neurons with varying functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system associated with progressive cognitive and memory loss. Molecular hallmarks of the disease are characterized by extracellular deposition of the amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) in senile plaques, the appearance of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), cholinergic deficit, extensive neuronal loss and synaptic changes in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus and other areas of brain essential for cognitive and memory functions. Abeta deposition causes neuronal death via a number of possible mechanisms including oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, energy depletion, inflammation and apoptosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetes mellitus is reported to impair the memory function in experimental animals. Since the mammalian hippocampus and cerebral cortex play a pivotal role in a diverse set of cognitive functions, such as novelty detection and memory, we examined the vulnerability of cortex and hippocampus regions of the brain to oxidative damage in streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic mice. We next examined the attenuating effect of extracts of Withania somnifera and Aloe vera on prevention of hippocampal and cortical cell degenerations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neural Transm (Vienna)
January 2004
Excitotoxicity and oxidative stress are the major mechanisms of neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative disorders that occurs in both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated extracellularly and intracellularly by various mechanisms are among the major risk factors that initiate and promote neurodegeneration.Therefore, it is important to find the compound which retard or reverse the neuronal injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreasing evidence supports the role of excitotoxicity in neuronal cell injury. Thus, it is extremely important to explore methods to retard or reverse excitotoxic neuronal injury. In this regard, certain dietary compounds are beginning to receive increased attention, in particular those involving phytochemicals found in medicinal plants in alleviating neuronal injury.
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