MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) which has been shown to produce a Parkinson-like syndrome in humans and monkeys also causes cell death in cultures of rat hepatocytes. Treatment of cells with MPTP or its metabolite MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium ion), resulted in leakage of lactic acid dehydrogenase and 14C-labeled adenine nucleotides, as well as marked depletion of ATP a...

The potential proneurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induces Parkinson-like syndromes in common marmosets, other primates, and humans. MPTP is metabolically activated to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-2,3-dihydropyridinium and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ions (MPDP(+) and MPP(+), respectively) by desaturation reactions. MPTP is deactivated to 4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (P...

Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) is the ultimate step in dozens of lethal apoptotic signal transduction pathways which converge on mitochondria. One of the representative systems proposed to be responsible for the MOMP is the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP). Although the molecular composition of the MPTP is not clearly understood, the MPTP attracts much int...

OBJECTIVES: 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is a neurotoxin that induces a Parkinsonian-type syndrome in animals which is similar to Parkinson's disease in humans. MPTP toxicity partially depends on the production of free radicals which in turn play a key role in the apoptotic death of neurons. In the present study melatonin, a potent free radical scavenger with antiapoptoti...

BACKGROUND MPTP and paraquat are two compounds that have been used to model Parkinson's disease in mice. Previous studies in two non-traditional strains of mice have shown that a single dose of MPTP can induce changes in body temperature, while the effects of paraquat have not been examined. Examination of body temperature is important since small fluctuations in an animal's core temperature ca...

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a major polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in the phospholipid fraction of the brain, is essential for normal cellular function. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) often exhibit significant declines in PUFAs. The aim of this study was to observe the effects of DHA supplementation in an experimental rat model of PD created with '1-methyl-4-phe...

The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-(2'-aminophenyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (2'-NH(2)-MPTP) damages forebrain serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) nerve terminals while sparing striatal dopaminergic innervation. Previous studies suggest that 2'-NH(2)-MPTP acts by a mechanism that involves uptake by the plasma membrane 5-HT and NE transporters. The present investigation further explores the molecu...

1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induces permanent neurochemical and functional deficits. Following the administration of either two or four injections of the dopamine neurotoxin, MPTP, at a dose of 40 mg/kg, C57/BL6 mice were given access to running-wheels (30-min sessions, four times/week, Monday-Thursday) and treatment with the treated yeast, Milmed(®) (four times/week, Mo...

Among the most widely used models of Parkinson's disease (PD) are those that employ toxins, especially 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Depending on the protocol used, MPTP yields large variations in nigral cell loss, striatal dopamine loss and behavioral deficits. Motor deficits do not fully replicate those seen in PD. Nonetheless, MPTP mouse models mimic many aspects of th...