The fact that calcium is a trace element that the human body needs to ensure vital activity is known to most of us. Its role in the formation of bone tissue is difficult to overestimate. At the same time, an increased level of calcium is fraught with very unpleasant consequences, one of which, perhaps, is the ability to provoke the development of a very serious disease – Parkinson’s disease. This is evidenced by the data of a recent study, the authors of which are British scientists.
As experts at the University of Cambridge found out, an excess of calcium in brain cells leads to the appearance of so-called toxic clusters, which are the “first signs” of Parkinson’s disease. This is due to the fact that calcium in large quantities contributes to the disruption of connections between tiny membrane structures that are located inside the nerve endings. The role of these membrane structures is to transmit signals between brain neurons.
Toxic clusters are formed under conditions of increased calcium concentration by alpha-synucleins, proteins that are normally responsible for transmitting information. Excess levels of calcium, combined with alpha-synucleins, set off a “chain reaction” that results in brain cell death.
The researchers note that their discovery is an important step towards understanding why Parkinson’s disease develops. This formidable disease overtakes approximately one person out of every three hundred and fifty. The disease is usually diagnosed in people of an older age group, but sometimes it is detected in young people and even adolescents. To date, this neurodegenerative disease remains incurable. Its earliest manifestations are hand tremor at rest, as well as gradually developing stiffness of movements.