Fria radikaler och sjuka proteiner - bovarna bakom Parkinsons sjukdom?[Free radicals and ailing proteins - the culprits behind Parkinson’s disease?]

Summary, in English

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, and affects approximately 1% of the population over 65 years of age. Many different insults appear to be involved in the etiology of the disease, among them environmental toxins and mitochondrial dysfunction. During the past five years, mutations in five different genes have been linked to rare, familial forms of Parkinson’s disease. One of the mutated proteins, a-synuclein is normally implicated in synaptic plasticity and vesicle function. Dysfunction of this protein might lead to increased cytoplasmic dopamine

levels. Since cytoplasmic dopamine is readily

prone to autooxidation and enzymatic degradation - processes which generate reactive oxygen species - failure to properly store dopamine into vesicles might lead to oxidative stress. Indeed, nigral tissue from idiopathic Parkinson’s disease patients shows signs of oxidative damage. In this article we propose that dopamine-induced oxidative stress might be a common final pathway in the pathogenesis of the disease.

• Author: Ruben Smith; Julie Lotharius; Patrik Brundin
• Department/s: Neurobiology; Department of Experimental Medical Science
• Publishing year: 2003
• Language: Swedish
• Pages: 6-1329
• Publication/Series: Läkartidningen
• Volume: 100
• Issue: 15
• Links: http://ltarkiv.lakartidningen.se/artNo26514
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Swedish Medical Association
• Topic: Neurosciences
• Status: Published
• Research group: Neurobiology
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0023-7205