Smokers have a lower incidence of Parkinson's disease, evidently due to the neuroprotective action of nicotine on brain cells.
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. The cause of Parkinson's is still unknown but it may be both environmental and genetic.
There is a progressive loss of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons which leads to a state of severe dopamine depletion. It is now quite evident that there are significant decrease in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in Parkinson's diseas.Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are the main targets for disease therapy and neuroprotective strategies.
Stimulation of the nicotinic receptors in the presynaptic dopaminergic neurons with nicotine increases dopamine release in the striatum. Nicotine protects against neuronal insults, so there is a remarkable decrease in the risk of disease in smokers.
It has been noted that there is a mild reduction of the density of nicotinic receptors in the striatum and substantia nigra of these patients.It is the nicotin which cover these receptors and reduces the further reduction of them.
