Experimental Destruction of Substantia Nigra Initiated by Parkinson Disease Immunoglobulins

Abstract
PARKINSON DISEASE (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a relatively selective loss of neurons of the nigrostriatal pathway. Decreased levels of reduced glutathione,1,2 increased levels of iron,3 altered mitochondrial function,4,5 as well as increased lipid peroxidation6 suggest the involvement of excessive free radical formation and oxidative stress in substantia nigra (SN) cell injury.7,8 However, the initiating or triggering events in most patients with PD are unclear. In rare cases, the ingestion of N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine has been reported to trigger injury in SN cells by its metabolite, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium+, which inhibits mitochondrial complex I and leads to oxidative stress.9-11