Promethazine: A Novel Application as a Neuroprotectant That Reduces Ischemia-Mediated Injury by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Dysfunction

摘要

Many devastating neurologic diseases such as stroke, ALS, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease, share a common feature of neuronal cell death. The key question in the laboratory is: If we can prevent cell death, can we ameliorate the severity of the disease for our patients? Therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing cell death have potential clinical utility under many circumstances, including neurodegenerative conditions and stroke. Cell death occurs via two pathways: apoptosis and necrosis. Necrosis is disorganized and rapid with rupture of nuclear and cytoplasmic membranes and degradation of DNA, rendering it difficult to prevent. Apoptosis is organized, slow, and orchestrated by a set of enzymes called caspases, and consequently offers a greater opportunity to inhibit.