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. 1989 Jun;52(6):1830-6.
doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1989.tb07264.x.

Increased nigral iron content and alterations in other metal ions occurring in brain in Parkinson's disease

D T Dexter  1 , F R Wells, A J Lees, F Agid, Y Agid, P Jenner, C D Marsden
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Increased nigral iron content and alterations in other metal ions occurring in brain in Parkinson's disease

D T Dexter et al. J Neurochem. 1989 Jun.

Abstract

Levels of iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and lead were measured by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy in parkinsonian and age-matched control brain tissue. There was 31-35% increase in the total iron content of the parkinsonian substantia nigra when compared to control tissue. In contrast, in the globus pallidus total iron levels were decreased by 29% in Parkinson's disease. There was no change in the total iron levels in any other region of the parkinsonian brain. Total copper levels were reduced by 34-45% in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease; no difference was found in the other brain areas examined. Zinc levels were increased in substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease by 50-54%, and the zinc content of the caudate nucleus and lateral putamen was also raised by 18-35%. Levels of manganese and lead were unchanged in all areas of the parkinsonian brain studied when compared to control brains, except for a small decrease (20%) in manganese content of the medial putamen. Increased levels of total iron in the substantia nigra may cause the excessive formation of toxic oxygen radicals, leading to dopamine cell death.

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