CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDY ON THE ROLE OF FREE RADICALS AND ANTIOXIDANTS IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by

a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra, resulting in presence of proteinaceous neuronal inclusions called Lewy bodies in these susceptible dopaminergic midbrain neurons (Iha et al., 2002). The underlying cause of the selective death of the nigra! dopaminergic neurons in PO is not fully understood (Owen eta/., 1997; Jenner, 1998;Choi et a/., 2000). Nevertheless, a significant body of biochemical data point to an on going process of oxidative stress in the SN, compromised mitochondrial energy metabolism, and microglial activation have been associated with the pathophysiology ofPD (Gao eta/., 2002; Ikeyama eta/., 2002).