Mice suffering from a depletion of the antioxidant glutathione developed nerve damage and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease in humans.
Past studies already showed that depletion of the naturally occurring antioxidant in the brain is one of the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease, but this study is the first that points to a depletion as one of the causes of the illness.
Loss of glutathione in neurons may affect the energy production in the mitochondria, which serve as the power plants of cells.