Interaction of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline with some components of cigarette smoke: potential implications for Parkinson's Disease.

Tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ), a presumed proneutrotoxin linked with Parkinson's disease (PD), was found to interact with some components of cigarette smoke to give N-(cyanomethyl)-TIQ (CMTIQ), N-(1'-cyanoethyl)-TIQ (CETIQ), N-(1'-cyanopropyl)-TIQ (CPTIQ), N-(1'-cyanobutyl)-TIQ (CBTIQ), and 1-cyano-TIQ (1CTIQ). The in vitro formation of these compounds under physiological conditions occurs rapidly and with a high yield. Significant differences in the recovery of the different compounds were obtained when the data obtained from Burley tobacco were compared to those obtained from Bright tobacco. Following chronic administration of TIQ and a solution of cigarette smoke to rats, the presence of some of these compounds was also detected in the brain.