Nigrostriatal function in vitamin E deficiency: clinical, experimental, and positron emission tomographic studies.
Four patients with vitamin E deficiency and sensory ataxia were studied using [18F]dopa positron emission tomography. The 2 most disabled patients, who had severe and prolonged vitamin E deficiency due to abetalipoproteinemia, showed reduced [18F]dopa uptake in both putamen and caudate. Putaminal uptake was in a similar range to that seen in Parkinson's disease. Studies of [3H]mazindol binding in the striatum of vitamin E--deficient rats indicated a reduced number of dopamine terminals, which was most severe in ventrolateral striatum. These observations suggest that severe and prolonged vitamin E deficiency results in loss of nigrostriatal nerve terminals, and support the hypothesis that oxidative stress may contribute to the etiology of Parkinson's disease.
Dexter
D T
DT
Biomedical Science Division, King's College, London, UK.
Brooks
D J
DJ
Harding
A E
AE
Burn
D J
DJ
Muller
D P
DP
Goss-Sampson
M A
MA
Jenner
P G
PG
Marsden
C D
CD
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008454:Mazindol; D008875:Middle Aged; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014316:Tritium; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D014316:Tritium; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D008454:Mazindol; D004298:Dopamine