[Mechanism of cell death in neurodegenerative disorders: apropos of Parkinson disease]

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a selective loss of nerve cells which die slowly, but more rapidly than similar effects due to aging. This premature nerve cell death results from genetic and environmental factors, normal aging being probably an accessory mechanism. The cause of dopaminergic nerve cell death in Parkinson's disease includes an oxidative stress resulting from an overproduction of free radicals, a decreased metabolism of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, a decreased defence against calcium, and many other putative mechanisms. The fact that there are still several hypothesises of cell death in Parkinson's disease indicates that we are still far from discovering the cause of the disease.