Lack of Glutathione Linked to Parkinson's Disease

According to a new study, published in the most recent issue of the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience, researchers have shown (in animal models) that the lack of glutathione is linked to the development of the Parkison's disease. The study was led by Julie Andersen, PhD., from the Buck Institute for Age Research, Novato, California

The Parkison's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. Common symptoms are: tremor, slowness of movement and rigidity. No cure is available today for the Parkison's disease. Glutathione is recognized as a potent detoxifying antioxidant that helps the body repair damage from stress, pollution, infection and damage.

Scientists have shown in this study that mice exhausting their levels of glutathione in dopamine-producing neurons developed nerve damage and symptoms that mimic the Parkinson's disease (PD) in humans. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in a myriad in nerve functions.

In this study a special kind of mice was bred. These genetically engineered mice cold are induced (chemically) to develop a depletion of glutathione in neurons as adults and in different stages of their adulthood. When the glutathione depletion was induced in young adults no Parkinsonian-like nerve damage and symptoms occurred. On the contrary if the induction was done in late middle age mice developed loss of neurons specifically related to Parkison's disease.

Another interesting effect was seen in this study. Loss of glutathione in neurons may also have a strong effect of energy production. Energy, at the cellular lever is produced in a sub cellular structure known as mitochondria. Mitochondria are true "power plants" within the cell. Lack of glutathione may have an effect on an enzymatic complex of the mitochondria known as mitochondrial complex I.

Glutathione is available to be taken as a dietary supplement. However, the antioxidant glutathione cannot pass the blood-brain barrier to reach the glutathione starving neurons. So no effect can be seen in Parkinson patients taking glutathione orally.