1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) administration to C57-black mice leads to parallel decrements in neostriatal dopamine content and tyrosine hydroxylase activity.

The administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to C57-black mice (4 doses of 20 mg/kg, at 2 h intervals) led to a large decrement in the neostriatal content of dopamine (92%) and a parallel decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase activity (91%). MPTP administration also caused highly significant but lesser decrements in the neostriatal content of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (84%) and homovanillic acid (68%). These data are consistent with other observations which suggest that MPTP administration to mice results in a destruction of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway.