NEUROTOXICITY INDUCED BY PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO MPTP ON THE MONOAMINERGIC AND PEPTIDERGIC SYSTEMS OF THE MARMOSET BRAIN

The neurotoxicity induced by incidental prenatal exposure to 1-methyl- 4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) was studied in three marmos ets, The baby marmosets exposed in utero to MPTP looked normal in the first few weeks of life but around 8 to 10 weeks of life they started to behave abnormally and were sacrificed when they were 20 weeks old. A marked reduction in DA levels was found in the baby marmosets prenat ally exposed to MPTP as compared to the corresponding age-matched cont rols and this was highly significant in the caudate nucleus, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. Serotonin content was normal in the caudate and putamen and was only significantly reduced in the nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, and cingulate cortex, Met-enkephalin levels were reduced in the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus. Substance P con tent tended to be lower in all regions examined; however, the decrease was only statistically significant in the substantia nigra. These res ults indicate that prenatal exposure to MPTP induces a marked and long -lasting alteration in monoaminergic and peptidergic systems of the pr imate brain, This observation may provide a new insight into the role of toxins in the etiology of Parkinson's disease. (C) 1995 Academic Pr ess, Inc.