Dysregulation of body antioxidant content is related to initiation and progression of Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

BackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative illness. It has been believed that oxidative stress (OS) is an important factor in the advancement of PD. This investigation attempts to evaluate the relations between blood trace elements, ferritin, and transferrin concentrations as well as the levels of protein and gene expression of ceruloplasmin (CP), Nrf-2, and HO-1 in patients suffering PD. MethodsThe serum concentrations of variables were assessed in 110 PD patients group and 110 normal subjects. Furthermore, we applied qRT-PCR as well as western blot (WB) analysis to measure the levels of gene and protein, respectively. ResultsConsiderable differences were detected in the serum concentrations of copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn), when healthy and patient groups were compared. Nevertheless, the levels of Se, ferritin, and transferrin were not significantly different between the two groups. qRT-PCR and WB data analysis revealed significant differences of CP, Nrf-2, and HO-1at genes expression and protein levels when comparing the two PD patients and control groups. ConclusionThe results of the current work revealed that blood levels of Cu, Fe, and Zn were significantly higher in subjects who had PD. In addition, it was found that the levels of protein and gene expression CP, Nrf-2, and HO-1 were markedly higher in PD group than in non-PD subjects. Indeed, in this study, the results showed that the antioxidant content of the body can be linked to PD.