Protection and potentiation of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced toxicity by cytochrome P450 inhibitors and inducer may be due to the altered uptake of the toxin.

Earlier studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) toxicity could be modulated by inhibitors and inducer of cytochrome P450 (P450) in an in vitro model consisting of sagittal slices of mouse brain. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of P450 on MPTP toxicity, it was undertaken to study the effect of the modulators of P450 on the toxicity of the metabolite of MPTP, namely, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+). Incubation of mouse brain slices with various concentrations of MPP+ (1-100 microM) resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of mitochondrial enzyme NADH-dehydrogenase (NADH-DH) and leakage of the cytosolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase from the slice into the medium. MPP(+)-induced toxicity was abolished by pretreatment of the slices with inhibitors of monoamine oxidase (MAO; pargyline and deprenyl) or inhibitors of P450 (piperonyl butoxide or SKF-525A) or dopamine uptake blocker (GBR-12909), as measured by the activity of NADH-DH in slices and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase from the slice into the medium. Slices prepared from mice pretreated with phenobarbital (an inducer of P450) potentiated the toxic effects of MPP+. Pretreatment of slices with MAO-inhibitor, P450 inhibitors, or dopamine uptake blocker attenuated the uptake of MPP+ into the slices. In contrast, MPP+ uptake was significantly increased in slices prepared from phenobarbital-pretreated mice. Thus, both MAO and P450 inhibitors abolish the toxicity of MPP+ in the sagittal slices of mouse brain by altering the uptake of the toxin into the slices.