MPTP

MPTP or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine is a prodrug to the neurotoxin MPP+, which causes permanent symptoms of Parkinson's disease by destroying dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. It has been used to study disease models in various animal studies.

Chemistry

MPTP is a lipophilic compound, crossing the blood–brain barrier with ease. It is metabolized to the neurotoxin MPP+ by the enzyme MAO-B, part of the outer membrane of mitochondria in astrocytes. MPP+ is then taken up by the dopamine transporter into dopaminergic neurons where it inhibits complex I of the electron transport chain, leading to cell death.

History

MPTP was first synthesized as a potential analgesic in 1947. However, its neurotoxicity was not discovered until the 1980s when drug users in California developed Parkinson's-like symptoms after using a synthetic heroin contaminated with MPTP.

Use in Research

MPTP is used in animal models of Parkinson's disease to study the disease's progression and to test potential treatments. It has been shown to induce Parkinson's-like symptoms in primates and other animals.

See Also

• Parkinson's disease
• Neurotoxin
• Dopaminergic neurons
• Substantia nigra
• Blood–brain barrier
• MAO-B
• Mitochondria
• Astrocytes
• Dopamine transporter
• Electron transport chain
• Analgesic
• Synthetic heroin

MPTP Resources
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