1983/02/25 by J. William Langston, Philip L. Ballard, James W. Tetrud +1 · 1 citation
Chemistry · Medicine · Neuroscience · #Anesthesia #Chemistry #Disease #Drug #Epilepsy research and treatment #Internal medicine #MPTP #Medicine #Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research #Neurotoxin #Parkinson's disease #Parkinsonism #Pathological #Pharmacological Effects and Toxicity Studies #Pharmacology #Piperidine #Stereochemistry #Substantia nigra
paper · doi:10.1126/science.6823561
openalex publication_date 1983/02/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Four persons developed marked parkinsonism after using an illicit drug intravenously. Analysis of the substance injected by two of these patients revealed primarily 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) with trace amounts of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-4-propionoxy-piperidine (MPPP). On the basis of the striking parkinsonian features observed in our patients, and additional pathological data from one previously reported case, it is proposed that this chemical selectively damages cells in the substantia nigra.