Abstract
Less than four years ago, the sudden appearance of parkinsonian symptoms in young drug abusers was traced to the presence of MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) in carelessly synthesized batches of ‘new heroin’, an illicit pethidine analog. The world-wide interest and intense research effort this discovery generated has resulted in the identification of the enzymes involved in the conversion of MPTP to the neurotoxic form. It has also elucidated the crucial roles played by the dopamine reuptake system, by a newly discovered mitochondrial carrier, and by mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase, the ultimate target, in the destruction of the nigrostriatal cells of the brain.
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