Dopamine transporter SPECT in patients with mitochondrial disorders.
BACKGROUND
Mitochondrial disorders may affect basal ganglia function. In addition, decreased activity of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain has been linked to the pathogenesis of dopaminergic cell loss in Parkinson's disease. Objective : To investigate the dopaminergic system in patients with known mitochondrial disorders and complex I deficiency.


METHODS
Dopamine transporter density was studied in 10 female patients with mitochondrial complex I deficiency by (123)I-FP-CIT (N-beta-fluoropropyl-2beta-carbomethyl-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)-nortropane) SPECT.


RESULTS
No differences in (123)I-FP-CIT striatal binding ratios were observed and no correlation of the degree of complex I deficiency and striatal binding ratios could be detected.


CONCLUSIONS
These data argue against the possibility that mitochondrial complex I deficiency by itself is sufficient to elicit dopaminergic cell loss.
Minnerop
M
M
Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, Bonn 53105, Germany.
Kornblum
C
C
Joe
A Y
AY
Tatsch
K
K
Kunz
W S
WS
Klockgether
T
T
Wüllner
U
U
Reinhardt
M J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017241:MELAS Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017246:Ophthalmoplegia, Chronic Progressive External / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014326:Tropanes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014326:Tropanes; C087552:2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I