Biochemical profile of vulnerable neurons in neurodegenerative disorders

: The regional vulnerability to peroxidative damage in mice brains has been characterized with respect to glutathione, vitamin E, ubiquinols, Fe3+ and malonialdehyde, and the experiments support the hypothesis that products of peroxidation are a factor that correlates with both the rate of neuronal loss in aging and vulnerability to agents responsible for production of parkinsonian syndromes. It is suggested that studies on the involvement of the Q system may shed some light on the physiology and pathology of aging.