[Ronhutton]

Two more reports showing substances which slow PD also protect the BBB, (blood-brain barrier).
I have not yet found anything which does not conform to this statement.

You may have seen the report that uric acid slows progression of PD. MJ Fox have awarded the work the largest grant ever given.
Again, it is found that uric acid (UA) prevents loss of BBB integrity.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) found that patients with elevated blood levels of uric acid (which can also cause gout and kidney stones) experienced a slower progression of Parkinson's disease.
http://www.13wham.com/guides/health/...6-9f7432bff2da

UA treatment prevents the loss of blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 March 1; 102(9): 3483–3488.
Published online 2005 February 22. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0500307102.

Similarly, we have seen reports of caffeine slowing progression of PD.
Again, you find that it also protects the BBB, by its action on cholesterol.

Journal of Neuroinflammation 2008, 5:12doi:10.1186/1742-2094-5-12
Published: 3 April 2008

Abstract (provisional)
High levels of serum cholesterol and disruptions of the blood brain barrier (BBB) have all been implicated as underlying mechanisms in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Results from studies conducted in animals and humans suggest that caffeine might be protective against Alzheimer's disease but by poorly understood mechanisms. Using rabbits fed a cholesterol-enriched diet, we tested our hypothesis that chronic ingestion of caffeine protects against high cholesterol diet-induced disruptions of the BBB. New Zealand rabbits were fed a 2% cholesterol-enriched diet, and 3 mg caffeine was administered daily in drinking water for 12 weeks. Total cholesterol and caffeine concentrations from blood were measured. Olfactory bulbs (and for some studies hippocampus and cerebral cortex as well) were evaluated for BBB leakage, BBB tight junction protein expression levels, activation of astrocytes, and microglia density using histological, immunostaining and immunoblotting techniques. We found that caffeine blocked high cholesterol diet-induced increases in extravasation of IgG and fibrinogen, increases in leakage of Evan's blue dye, decreases in levels of the tight junction proteins occludin and ZO-1, increases in astrocytes activation and microglia density where IgG extravasation was present. Chronic ingestion of caffeine protects against high cholesterol diet-induced increases in disruptions of the BBB, and caffeine and drugs similar to caffeine might be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Ron

[lou_lou]

therefore gout is a good thing?
uric acid in the blood, - forming in the joints... my father had gout...
and there is a blood test I was given that showed I had the uric acid crystals
in my blood - at the time I was advised to drink more filtered water, etc.
so ? it's a good ouch?
______________
Gout info -

Gout is a form of acute arthritis that causes severe pain and swelling in the joints. It most commonly affects the big toe, but may also affect the heel, ankle, hand, wrist, or elbow. Gout usually comes on suddenly, goes away after 5–10 days, and can keep recurring. Gout is different from other forms of arthritis because it occurs when there are high levels of uric acid circulating in the blood, which can cause urate crystals to settle in the tissues of the joints.

Description

Uric acid, which is found naturally in the blood stream, is formed as the body breaks down waste products, mainly those containing purine, a substance that is produced by the body and is also found in high concentrations in some foods, including brains, liver, sardines, anchovies, and dried peas and beans. Normally, the kidneys filter uric acid out of the blood and excrete it in the urine. Sometimes, however, the body produces too much uric acid or the kidneys aren't efficient enough at filtering it from the blood, and it builds up in the blood stream, a condition known as hyperuricemia. A person's susceptibility to gout may increase because of the inheritance of certain genes or from being overweight and eating a rich diet. In some cases, another disease (such as lymphoma, leukemia, or hemolytic anemia) may be the underlying cause of the uric acid buildup that results in gout.

so far sill not over weight at all - so it must be in the genetic order of things...

[Ronhutton]

Dear Tena,
I know what gout is, and what causes it. The interesting point about this report is here is yet another substance shown to both slow PD symptoms and protect the integrity of the BBB. How many more examples do we have to find before some research group does some work.
We need to find compounds with similar structure to uric acid which still protect the BBB, but don't have the disadvantages of uric acid.
Ron