New Findings Challenge Current View on Origins of Parkinson's Disease
 

The Endoplasmic Reticulum
 

(found this interesting)
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/scie...a/2012/857516/

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a multifunctional organelle required for lipid biosynthesis, calcium storage, and protein folding and processing. A number of physiological and pathological conditions, as well as a variety of pharmacological agents, are able to disturb proper ER function and thereby cause ER stress, which severely impairs protein folding and therefore poses the risk of proteotoxicity. Specific triggers for ER stress include, for example, particular intracellular alterations (e.g., calcium or redox imbalances), certain microenvironmental conditions (e.g., hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and acidosis), high-fat and high-sugar diet, a variety of natural compounds (e.g., thapsigargin, tunicamycin, and geldanamycin), and several prescription drugs (e.g., bortezomib/Velcade, celecoxib/Celebrex, and nelfinavir/Viracept). The cell reacts to ER stress by initiating a defensive process, called the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is comprised of cellular mechanisms aimed at adaptation and safeguarding cellular survival or, in cases of excessively severe stress, at initiation of apoptosis and elimination of the faulty cell. In recent years, this dichotomic stress response system has been linked to several human diseases, and efforts are underway to develop approaches to exploit ER stress mechanisms for therapy.

The edoplasmic reticular tethering of the mitochondria is interesting! In the abstract from the Hindawi paper, my eye goes to this statement:

Specific triggers for ER stress include, for example, particular intracellular alterations (e.g., calcium or redox imbalances), certain microenvironmental conditions (e.g., hypoglycemia, hypoxia, and acidosis), high-fat and high-sugar diet, a variety of natural compounds (e.g., thapsigargin, tunicamycin, and geldanamycin), and several prescription drugs (e.g., bortezomib/Velcade, celecoxib/Celebrex, and nelfinavir/Viracept).

Multiple ER stress triggers could easily be present in a person, especially if specific triggers are common conditions. Presumably more triggers are possible than the examples which were listed, and perhaps more prescription drugs can serve as triggers than the examples listed. As I understand it, many people have experienced a worsening in their Parkinson's symptoms during or after an illness or stressful time. During illness or stress, healthy diet can easily fall by the wayside, and prescription drugs are more likely to be deployed.