title: L-DOPA treatment from the viewpoint of neuroprotection. Possible mechanism of specific and progressive dopaminergic neuronal death in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: With regard to the mechanism of selective dopaminergic neuronal death, experimental results of studies on the neurotoxicity of MPTP and rotenone indicate that degeneration of dopamine neurons is closely related to mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory process and oxidative stress, particularly with regard to the generation of quinones as dopamine neuron-specific oxidative stress. Thus, it is now clear that the presence of high levels of discompartmentalized free dopamine in dopaminergic neurons may explain the specific vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons through the generation of highly toxic quinones.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Brain Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine & Dentistry, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. ogawakun@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asanuma
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Diaz-Corrales
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D007980:Levodopa; D004298:Dopamine