Neuroscience
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Growing awareness of adverse impacts of artificial light on human health has led to recognize light pollution as a significant global environmental issue. Despite, a large number of studies in rodent and monkey models of Parkinson's disease have reported that near infrared light has neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic neurons, recent findings have shown that prolonged exposure of rodents and birds to fluorescent artificial light results in an increase of neuromelanin granules in substantia nigra and loss of dopaminergic neurons. ⋯ The present article discusses experimental evidence supporting a potentially deleterious impact of light on dopaminergic neurons and highlights the mechanisms whereby light might damage neuronal tissue. Moreover, it analyses epidemiological evidence that suggests light pollution to be an environmental risk factor for Parkinson's disease.
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Despite its high frequency the etiology is still unclear; several lines of evidence show that an inflammatory process is implicated in the pathogenesis of this disorder; where activation of brain microglia plays a central role in the damage of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. ⋯ This exposure may be enhanced by increased permeability of the intestinal ("leaky gut") and the blood brain barrier; enhancing the entrance of microbiota-produced substances into the central nervous system. In this manuscript, we explore the evidence from clinical and basic science implicating microglia activation by gut dysbiosis and how this phenomenon may impact in the symptomatology and progression of PD.