Intracerebral MPTP injections in the rat cause cell loss in the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area and dorsal raphe.
A retrograde tracer was combined with intracerebral injections of high doses of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to examine its neurotoxic effects on rat midbrain structures projecting to the striatum. MPTP injections into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) caused a huge cell loss in both regions. Furthermore, since MPTP infusions into the medial forebrain bundle produced destruction of dorsal raphe neurons (presumably serotonergic), as well as of dopaminergic SNc/VTA neurons, its neurotoxic effects in the rat are 'relatively non-selective' rather than 'relatively selective'.
D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000187:drug effects*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects*; D013681:Tegmentum Mesencephali / Q000187:drug effects*
D011725:Pyridines; D012701:Serotonin; D015632:1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; D004298:Dopamine