The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Huntington’s Disease: A Mini Review

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases affect not only the life quality of aging populations, but also their life spans. All forms of neurodegenerative diseases have a massive impact on the elderly. The major threat of these brain diseases includes progressive loss of memory, Alzheimer's disease (AD), impairments in the movement, Parkinson's disease (PD), and the inability to walk, talk, and think, Huntington's disease (HD). Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are highlighted as a central feature of brain degenerative diseases. Oxidative stress, a condition that occurs due to imbalance in oxidant and antioxidant status, has been known to play a vital role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases including AD, PD, and HD. A large number of studies have utilized oxidative stress biomarkers to investigate the severity of these neurodegenerative diseases and medications are available, but these only treat the symptoms. In traditional medicine, a large number of medicinal plants have been used to treat the symptoms of these neurodegenerative diseases. Extensive studies scientifically validated the beneficial effect of natural products against neurodegenerative diseases using suitable animal models. This short review focuses the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of AD, PD, and HD and the protective efficacy of natural products against these diseases.

Nrf2 Pathway in Age-Related Neurological Disorders: Insights into MicroRNAs

“…The impairment of mitochondrial functions, as the dysfunction of protein quality-control machineries with subsequent accumulation of misfolded proteins, has been implicated in the PD pathogenesis [129,131,132]. Moreover, oxidative stress is also considered as one of the main causes of PD [3,133,134]. A number of findings indicate that oxidative stress concurs to PD not only in sporadic, but also in familial cases, where it might exacerbate the disease phenotype.…”

Soy Lecithin-Derived Phosphatidylserine Plus Phosphatidic Acid: Effects on Brain Functions in Elderly Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

“…In addition, there is an emerging understanding on how the phospholipid pattern is linked to brain function, or its decline: Mild cognitive impairment and AD have been linked to oxidative stress and corresponding lipid peroxidation within the brain [37]. Oxidative stress on neuronal membranes also has a detrimental effect on synaptosomal PS asymmetry, which is normally maintained by the ATP-requiring enzyme flippase [38].…”

DNA Testing Applied to Fibromyalgia Syndrome Analysis and Management

“…Important data exists relating both to the start and the progression of Parkinson´s, demonstrating the presence of high levels of free radicals in early stages of Huntington´s disease, in renal diseases and Alzheimer´s and several other neurodegenerative diseases. 46 Also, it´s role in the worsening of symptoms in diseases such as hemolytic anemia 47 or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been. 48 At this point, it is also relevant its interrelation with another essential mechanism to take in consideration: the aberrant functioning of the immune system.…”