Top

Archive | Glutathione in Parkinson’s Disease

Dopamine turnover and glutathione oxidation: Implications for Parkinson disease (PDF)

Parkinson disease is characterized by a major loss (z8O% or more) of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons and by an increased turnover of neurotransmitter by surviving neurons of the nigrostriatal tract. In theory, increased turnover of dopamine should be associated with an oxidative stress derived from increased production of hydrogen peroxide.

Continue Reading

Glutathione depletion in PC12 results in selective inhibition of mitochondrial complex I activity: implications for Parkinson’s disease (PDF)

Oxidative stress appears to play an important role in degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The SN of early PD patients have dramatically decreased levels of the thiol tripeptide glutathione (GSH). GSH plays multiple roles in the nervous system both as an antioxidant and a redox modulator.

Continue Reading

Glutathione Depletion Switches Nitric Oxide Neurotrophic Effects to Cell Death in Midbrain Cultures Implications for Parkinson’s Disease (PDF)

This study shows that alterations in GSH levels change the neurotrophic effects of NO in midbrain cultures into neurotoxic. Under these conditions, NO triggers a programmed cell death with markers of both apoptosis and necrosis characterized by an early step of free radicals production followed by a late requirement for signalling on the sGC/cGMP/PKG pathway.

Continue Reading

Glutathione, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration (PDF)

There is significant evidence that the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, may involve the generation of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, we review the evidence for a disturbance of glutathione homeostasis that may either lead to or result from oxidative stress in […]

Continue Reading

Inducible Alterations of Glutathione Levels in Adult Dopaminergic Midbrain Neurons Result in Nigrostriatal Degeneration (PDF)

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the preferential loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). One of the earliest detectable biochemical alterations that occurs in the Parkinsonian brain is a marked reduction in SN levels of total glutathione (glutathione plus glutathione disulfide), occurring before losses in mitochondrial complex I (CI) […]

Continue Reading