Environmental lead-210 and bismuth-210 accrue selectively in the brain proteins in Alzheimer disease and brain lipids in Parkinson disease.

Abstract

We studied the occurrence of the environmental radon daughters, 210Po (alpha particles), and 210Bi (beta particles), in the protein and lipid fractions of cortical gray and subcortical white matter from the frontal and temporal lobes of human brains of persons with Alzheimer disease (AD), persons with Parkinson disease (PD), smokers, or persons with no previous evidence of clinical neurologic disease (controls). We found a 10-fold increase in 210Po and 210Pb radioactivity in the protein fraction from both the cortical gray and subcortical white matter in AD and smokers, and a similar increase in the lipid fraction in PD. The pathognomonic distribution of the radon daughters to the lipids in PD and to the proteins in AD was inferred to reflect the increase of local chlorine availability to which radon daughters bound selectively. Cigarette smoking strongly increases radon daughter retention in the central nervous system.

• Authors: B Momcilović, H A Alkhatib, J A Duerre, M Cooley, W M Long, T R Harris, G I Lykken
• Journal: Alzheimer disease and associated disorders (Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord) 2001 Apr-Jun Vol. 15 Issue 2 Pg. 106-15 ISSN: 0893-0341 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11403330 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Air Pollutants, Radioactive
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Phospholipids
• Radioisotopes
• Radon Daughters
• Lead
• Bismuth

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Air Pollutants, Radioactive (analysis)
• Bismuth (analysis)
• Female
• Frontal Lobe (pathology)
• Humans
• Lead (analysis)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nerve Tissue Proteins (analysis)
• Phospholipids (analysis)
• Radioisotopes (analysis)
• Radon Daughters (analysis)
• Reference Values
• Risk Factors
• Smoking (adverse effects)
• Temporal Lobe (pathology)