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Role of Calcium in Experimental Neurodegeneration

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Title Role of Calcium in Experimental Neurodegeneration
 
Creator Chanda, Goutam
 
Subject Cell Biology & Physiology
 
Description Neurolathyrism, caused by lumbosacral spinal neuronal death, is characterized by irreversible spastic paralysis of the lower limbs. It is prevalent in Indian population, where excessive consumption of the seeds of Lathyrus sativus (Chickling pea, ‘Kesari dal’) is common in the poorer sections of the society. This disorder results from selective lesions in the Betz cells of the motor cortex and their axons in corticospinal tracts (Ludolph and
Spencer, 1996), and several lines of circumstantial evidence suggest that excitotoxicity in glutamatergic neurons may contribute to the pathologic process. An involvement of upper motor neurons in the cerebral cortex with loss of axons in the pyramidal tracts in the lumbar
spinal cord, without affecting the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord has been shown in humans affected by neurolathyrism (Cohn and Streifler, 1981; Streifler et al., 1977). Neurolathyrism is an ancient neurological disorder, described in 1829 in the district of Blois in France (Bonte and Fiot, 1999). Devastating neurolathyrism epidemics
have occurred in the past during major famine crises in various parts of the world. Outbreaks of the disease have been reported in recent times in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Spain, Russia, and India under famine conditions (Hanbury et al., 2000; Yan et al., 2006). Interestingly, grass pea continues to be cultivated in the Near East, North Africa, west Asia, Indian subcontinent, South America, Canada and China (Muehlbauer, 1992; Yan et al., 2006), and consumption of this pulse still continues in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Nepal and India (Yan et al., 2006). All major famines and chronic food shortages in Ethiopia from the mid-1970s onwards have been accompanied by reports of neurolathyrism epidemics.
 
Date 2007
 
Type Thesis
NonPeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://www.eprints.iicb.res.in/1575/1/Goutam_Chandra_PDF.pdf
Chanda, Goutam (2007) Role of Calcium in Experimental Neurodegeneration. PhD thesis, Jadavpur University.
 
Relation http://www.eprints.iicb.res.in/1575/