Mercury connection and alzheimer's: new evidence

Another study showing a possible link between mercury exposure and some forms of Alzheimer's disease has recently been published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, a prestigious peer reviewed neuroscience journal.

The Swiss researchers showed that exposure of neuroblastoma cells in culture to extremely low levels of mercuric cation produces all of the classical cellular biochemical lesions found in the Alzheimer's diseased brain.

These included an increase of phosphorylation of the microtubule associated protein tau, the primary component of neurofibrillary tangles, or NFTs. Also reported was an increase in the production and secretion of beta amyloid, which aggregates to form the senile plaque common to the AD brain.

In addition to these two pathological hallmarks, this study also showed that low level mercury exposure led to a dose dependent decrease in cellular glutathione.

Reduced glutathione is one of the body's primary antioxidants as well as a potent chelator of metals such as mercury.

Along with the increase in oxidative stress, there was a dose dependent increase in cellular death (cytotoxicity) following exposure to these same low levels of mercury.

To read the complete copy of the study for yourself, please see the following website for an online version: www.jneurochem. org/cgi/content/full/74/1/231 Curt Pendergrass PhD D, Affinity Labeling Technologies, www.altcopr. com/amalgam/htm