Inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylation in rat striatal tissue slices by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion.

Pargyline, an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase (MAO), prevented 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced inhibition of dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) production by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) system in rat striatal tissue slices. The result suggests that the metabolism of MPTP in rat striatal tissue slices by MAO is necessary for the expression of the inhibitory effect. 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+), the metabolic product of MPTP by MAO, also inhibited DOPA formation in rat striatal tissue slices. The concentration of MPP+ producing significant inhibition was lower than that of MPTP, and the maximal inhibition produced by MPP+ was greater than that caused by MPTP. Since MPP+ at a concentration of 10(-4) M had no effect on the activity of pure TH in vitro, the inhibition of DOPA formation in tissue slices induced by MPP+ may not be due to direct inhibition of TH. Although hydroxylated derivatives of MPTP were reported to inhibit dihydropteridine reductase in vitro at lower concentrations than MPTP, 1-methyl-4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine showed only weak inhibition for tyrosine hydroxylation in striatal tissue slices.