Migration of tetrahydroisoquinoline, a possible parkinsonian neurotoxin, into monkey brain from blood as proved by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ) was quantitated by use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in brains and livers of marmosets which showed parkinsonism after daily subcutaneous injection of TIQ. TIQ showed greatly increased levels in the brains and livers of the TIQ-treated marmosets, with no detectable metabolites of TIQ. TIQ was present as an endogenous amine in the brains and livers of saline-treated marmosets at very low concentrations. It thus seems that TIQ can pass easily through the blood-brain barrier but cannot be metabolized in the brain or the liver. It is possible that TIQ accumulated in the brain may produce parkinsonism.
Niwa
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University Branch Hospital, Japan.
Takeda
N
N
Tatematsu
A
A
Matsuura
S
S
Yoshida
M
M
Nagatsu
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002143:Callitrichinae; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced*; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines
D007546:Isoquinolines; D009498:Neurotoxins; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; C014843:1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline