title: Evaluation of the biological activity of several analogs of the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine.
abstract: Several analogs of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) were synthesized and screened for their capacity to be oxidized by monoamine oxidase (MAO-A or MAO-B) and their capacity to produce nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity in mice. All of the compounds were relatively weak substrates for MAO-A but many of the compounds were found to be good substrates for MAO-B. Only three of the compounds, in addition to MPTP itself, were found to be neurotoxic. These were 1-methyl-4-cyclohexyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, 1-methyl-4-(2'-methylphenyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and 1-methyl-4-(3'-methoxyphenyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. All three of these neurotoxic compounds were found to be substrates for MAO-B; in contrast no compound was found to be neurotoxic that was not oxidized by MAO-B. The capacity of the compounds studied to be oxidized by MAO-B appears to be an important aspect of the neurotoxic process.
mesh_terms: D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010300:Parkinson Disease; D011725:Pyridines / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011725:Pyridines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid