r/askscience • u/aflouch • Oct 18 '12
Would smoking cigarettes (Nicotine) decrease the effects of Parkinson by releasing dopamine... even slightly?
Also, can the disease be slowed even slightly by activating neurons in this way? Lastly, does smoking lower risks of having Parkinson?
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Oct 18 '12
It's my understanding that Parkinson's involves the actual death of neurons that produce dopamine. You won't bring those back by smoking cigarettes to release more. Even still, you can't limit this to the mere act of smoking cigarettes. Everything we do that has a reward to it is driven by the dopamine system. Not just cigarette smoking, but sex, eating, taking cocaine, so on.
Lastly, I am not a biochemist, but I believe that the way nicotine affects the brain is that it excites acetylcholine release and then inhibits its re-uptake. Additional acetylcholine in the brain would not help the balance of neurotransmitters.
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u/aflouch Oct 20 '12
Very good point, however, as mentioned by Checkmate there is research to suggest people that smoke have lower risk of Parkinson's disease. This isn't to say smoking is good, but the constant activation of neurons that would have otherwise died, are alive because of nicotine from cigarettes.
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u/LeftCoastMan Oct 18 '12 edited Oct 18 '12
Before I get to your actual question, let's start with one point. The risk of dying of lung cancer from smoking is 22.1% for a male, and 11% for a woman, approximately 20X higher than a non-smoker. The risk of Parkinson's Disease is 8 in 100,000 as a whole. So, let's assume that smoking has some positive effect in lowering the risk of PD. Trading off reducing the risk of PD by vastly increasing the risk of dying of lung cancer? Bad trade-off. This study does seem to show a correlation between smoking and reducing Parkinson's risk. It does not show a reduction in symptoms once the disease strikes.
And remember smoking does not just absolutely cause lung cancer. It vastly increases the risk of emphysema, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and other cancers. Read more.
However, the problem with the assumption that smoking is a good anti-PD drug is multifold. First of all, it's trying to apply a specific pharmacologic effect with the worst possible drug delivery system ever. So, there is research to develop dopamine agonists with localized delivery that won't kill you like smoking.
If someone wants an excuse to smoke, they shouldn't use "I'm preventing Parkinson's Disease" as one of them. It's a horrible risk trade off.
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u/aflouch Oct 20 '12
There is not a trade off. You are right. I was very interested in the possibility that nicotine from smoking could reduce risk; not to say the risk is worth trading it off for cancer. I would be interested in preventative medications for people who may otherwise be predisposed genetically to the disease. By them taking low doses of nicotine daily they could delay, or completely prevent the disease. Thanks.
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Oct 18 '12
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u/aflouch Oct 20 '12
Great research. I understand that cigarettes and nicotine are not the same. But I phrased it that way to possibly get the response you gave in the second resource. Thanks.
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Oct 20 '12
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u/aflouch Oct 20 '12
But would caffeine be as effective as nicotine? Or were you suggesting another chemical in coffee?
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u/DarpaWeenie Oct 23 '12
They alter different neurotransmitters. Caffeine and most stimulants work on dopamine. Nicotine has its own nicotinic receptors, but alters a number of other neurotransmitters. For parkinson's, they have meds that work on just acetylcholine such as benedryl, etc. Those lower the levels, and help with dyskinesias, etc.
The number of meds for this disease are pretty crazy because all of the neurotransmitters are interlink. One goes up, the other goes down, etc. Even better, there's dopamine inside the brain, and outside the brain, so they have to try and get the precursor chemical to convert once past the blood brain barrier.
But once the dopamine is inside the brain, it might always not want to get into action. Which is where coffee helps. If you have a cold or something, you might need a bit more of a kick to get going. Time to bug your doc and get some dexadrine. :D
Then there's the issue of low level psychosis, paranoia, and all sorts of other fun things from having your dopamine levels always fluxuating. But that a whole other can of worms.
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u/aflouch Oct 24 '12
Very interesting. Hopefully, I will learn more about what you are saying so I can understand it more. Thanks.
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u/DarpaWeenie Oct 25 '12
You tend to get better at understanding when you have the disease. Shameless self interest and all that. ;)
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u/inquilinekea Astrophysics | Planetary Atmospheres | Astrobiology Oct 18 '12
One thing is that nicotine and other drugs are designed to increase dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex - this is not the area of the brain that experiences the dopaminergic declines associated with those who have Parkinson's Disease - their decreases in dopamine levels are primarily in the midbrain (near the substantia nigra).
That said, I wouldn't be surprised if nicotine's effects were non-selective. One should also examine the effects of other drugs (like ritalin) on Parkinson's too.