Free radicals and their scavengers in Parkinson's disease.

In recent years, it has been shown that active oxygen species or free radicals are closely involved in various diseases. Accumulating information supports the hypothesis that oxidative stress involving lipid peroxidation may contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The objectives of this review are, first, to discuss some of the roles of active oxygen species in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease; second, to examine the possible effects of antioxidants as the protective therapy for Parkinson's disease, and, third, to summarize results from in vitro experiments that the dopamine agonist bromocriptine, used for treatment of Parkinson's disease, has a strong antioxidative effect.