AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF FERRITIN IN 1-METHYL-4-PHENYL-1,2,3,6-TETRAHYDROPYRIDINE (MPTP)-INDUCED HEMIPARKINSONIAN MONKEYS

Iron is increased in the substantia nigra of patients with Parkinson's disease, but the mechanism of its accumulation is unknown. We report the distribution of ferritin in the basal ganglia of hemiparkinsonian monkeys made by MPTP. We stereotactically injected MPTP unilaterally i nto the caudate nucleus of four monkeys, and the substantia nigra and the basal ganglia regions were stained for L-ferritin by an immunohist ochemical method. The ferritin immune-staining was most intense in the pallidum and the pars reticulata of the substantia nigra on both inje cted and non-injected sides. No significant difference was noted in th e immunostaining for ferritin in the pars compacta of the substantia n igra between the injected and the non-injected side. Iron was increase d in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra of this hemiparkinsonia n monkeys in our previous study. Normal ferritin immunostaining on the injected side would indicate that iron accumulation is not related to altered metabolism of L-ferritin in this model.