Decreased iron levels in the temporal cortex in postmortem human brains with Parkinson disease

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate alterations in the levels of iron, divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) with the iron-responsive element (IRE), transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), ferroportin 1 (FPN1), and iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) in the temporal cortex of human brains with Parkinson disease (PD). Iron content was measured using an ICP-MS 7500CE detector. IRP1, DMT1+IRE, TfR1, and FPN1 expressions were determined by Western blotting. Iron content was significantly lower in the temporal cortex of patients with PD when compared with age-matched healthy controls. Unexpectedly, the levels of DMT1+IRE, TfR1, FPN1, and IRP1 were decreased in the temporal cortex in PD brains. No changes were observed in the temporal cortex of postmortem Alzheimer disease brains. Iron deprivation and iron-related protein dysregulation suggest that a different iron regulatory mechanism may exist, and that iron redistribution may occur between the temporal cortex and the substantia nigra of patients with PD.