Increased efflux rather than oxidation is the mechanism of glutathione depletion by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).
Incubation of isolated hepatocytes in the presence of either the parkinsonian-inducing compound 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) or its putative toxic metabolite 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) led to a depletion of intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH), which was mostly recovered as glutathione disulfide (GSSG). However, both MPTP- and MPP+-induced glutathione perturbances were relatively unaffected by the prior inhibition of glutathione reductase with 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), suggesting that intracellular oxidation was not the major mechanism involved in the GSH loss. Inclusion of cystine in the incubation mixtures revealed a time-dependent formation of cysteinyl glutathione (CySSG), indicating that an increased efflux was mostly responsible for the MPTP- and MPP+-induced GSH depletion. Therefore, the measurement of GSSG, which is apparently formed extracellularly, was not associated with oxidative stress.
D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003553:Cystine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D011725:Pyridines; D003553:Cystine; D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D005978:Glutathione; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide