Neuron. 2007 Jul 5;55(1):8-10. Links
Parkinson's disease: return of an old prime suspect.Sulzer D, Schmitz
Y.
Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical School, New York
State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA.
d...@columbia.edu

Pacemaking activity in adult substantia nigra (SN) dopamine neurons
relies on L-type Ca2+ channels, but a surprising study in Nature by
Chan et al. demonstrates that blockade of these channels by
dihydropyridines re-establishes the pacemaking driven by sodium and
HCN channels found in juvenile SN. This shift protects SN neurons in
chemical models of Parkinson's disease (PD), suggesting that elevated
intracellular Ca2+ participates in SN cell loss and that
dihydropyridines may provide therapy in PD.


PMID: 17610813 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
(dihydropyridines are calcium channel blocker agents used in cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmias)