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Mechanisms of aluminium neurotoxicity in oxidative stress-induced ...

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DA metabolism as a source <strong>of</strong> ROS<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

The selective neurodegeneration <strong>of</strong> SNpc DAergic <strong>in</strong> PD seems to suggest that<br />

these neurons are more vulnerable to <strong>oxidative</strong> <strong>stress</strong>, but the reason beh<strong>in</strong>d this is not<br />

completely understood. One potential expla<strong>in</strong>ation was based, at least <strong>in</strong> part, on DA<br />

metabolism either by autoxidation or catalyzed by MAO. Actually, this neurotransmitter<br />

can react with molecular oxygen generat<strong>in</strong>g peroxides, active qu<strong>in</strong>ones, � OH and other<br />

ROS that, along with those created from the respiratory cha<strong>in</strong> failure, may lead to both<br />

modifications <strong>of</strong> prote<strong>in</strong>s and depletion <strong>of</strong> GSH generat<strong>in</strong>g a highly <strong>oxidative</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>tracellular environment.<br />

The MAO catalyzed oxidation <strong>of</strong> DA to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde<br />

(DOPAL) leads to H2O2 formation, which is normally cleared by GSH. As GSH levels<br />

are decreased <strong>in</strong> SN <strong>of</strong> PD patients (Sian et al. 1994) H2O2 may be converted <strong>in</strong>to � OH<br />

which may trigger lipid peroxidation caus<strong>in</strong>g the death <strong>of</strong> DAergic neurons.<br />

Furthermore, DA autoxidation results <strong>in</strong> the formation <strong>of</strong> the semiqu<strong>in</strong>one radical which<br />

can be directly toxic (Stokes et al. 1999, Danielson and Andersen 2008) or which can<br />

lead to the formation <strong>of</strong> ROS (Olanow 1990). O2 ●─ is either metabolized <strong>in</strong>to H2O2 or<br />

reacts with NO, generat<strong>in</strong>g the strongly reactive ONOO ●─ . After a complex process <strong>of</strong><br />

polymerization, this autoxidation pathway leads f<strong>in</strong>ally to the generation <strong>of</strong> the dark-<br />

coloured, <strong>in</strong>soluble pigment called neuromelan<strong>in</strong> (Graham 1978). This compound was<br />

implicated <strong>in</strong> the vulnerability and susceptibility <strong>of</strong> DAergic neurons to<br />

neurodegeneration (Abou-Sleiman et al. 2006) but its precise mechanism rema<strong>in</strong>s<br />

uncerta<strong>in</strong>. Several hypotheses tried to expla<strong>in</strong> its contribution to the DAergic neurons<br />

death, through a macromolecule crowd<strong>in</strong>g effect or as an <strong>in</strong>traneuronal toxic reservoir<br />

by b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g transition metals like iron or neurotoxic coumpounds like MPP + (Chung et<br />

al. 2001).<br />

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