Research progresses on the role of metal ions in the pathogenesis of Parkinson′s disease

In the patients of Parkinson′s disease, dopaminergic neurons′ degeneration is the main pathological change. In the central nervous system, biometal ions′ imbalance and heavy metals′ accumulation are often connected with the oxidative stress, decreased enzyme activities, increased protein aggregations and so on. They lead to cascade reactions, resulting in dopaminergic neurons′ degeneration and death. In this paper, the research progresses on the main ions′ roles in the pathogenesis of Parkinson′s disease are reviewed, in order to further understand the pathogenic mechanism of Parkinson′s disease. Key words: Parkinson disease; Metal ions; Oxidative stress