Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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New Clue Explains Damage of Stroke
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THURSDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDayNews) -- A new study has linked brain cell damage during a stroke to an increase in brain acidity, a finding that could lead to new therapies for stroke victims. During a stroke, acid is released in the brain following the depletion of oxygen in brain cells, say researchers at the Robert S. Dow Neurobiology Laboratories in Portland, Ore. That acid release causes a subsequent influx of calcium into the nerve cells, which sets off a cascade of events toxic to the cells, lead researcher Zhi-Gang Xiong said. The researchers found in experiments with rats that brain damage could be reduced through treatment with a chemical that blocked nerve perception of the increase in acidity. Rats injected with the agent showed a 60 percent reduction in the area of brain damage, the researchers reported. The study appears in the Sept. 17 issue of Cell. More information The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about stroke.
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