Parkinson’s
Disease Society Experimental Laboratories, Pharmacology Group, Biomedical
Sciences Division, king’s College, London UK
REDUCED Glutathione (GSH) and Oxidized
Glutathione (GSSH) levels were measured in various brain areas (substancia
nigra, putamen, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus and cerebral cortez) from
patiens dying for parkinson’s disease, progressive supra nuclear palsy, multiple
system atrophy and huntington’s disease and from control subjects with no
neurolopathological changes in substantia nigra. GSH levels were reduced in
substacia nigra in parkinson’s disease patients (40% compared to controlled
subjects) and GSSG are marginally (29%) but insignificantly elevated, there
were no changes in other brain areas. The only significant change in multiple
system atrophy was an increased in GSH (196%) coupled with a reduction of GSSG
(60%) in the globus pallidus. The only change in progressive supranuclear palsy
was a reduced level of GSH in caudus nucleus (51%). The only change in
Hungtinton’s disease was a reduction of GSSH in the caudate nucleus.Despite
profound nigral cell loss in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease,
multiple system atrophy, and progressive supranuclear palsy, the level of GSH
in substantia nigra was significantly reduced only in Parkinson’s disease. This
suggest that the change in GSH in Parkinson’s disease is not soley due to
nigral cell death , or entirely explained by drug therapy for multiple-system
atrophy patients were also treated with levodopa. The altered GSH/GSSG ratio in
the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease is consistent with the concept of
oxidative stress as a major component in the pathogenesis of nigral cell death
in Prkinson’s disease.
