Apoptosis by an endogenous neurotoxin, N-methyl(R)salsolinol: Relevance toParkinson's disease

An endogenous neurotoxin, N-methyl(R)salsolinol has been proved to be invol ved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease by analyses of clinical samp les. This isoquinoline was proved to induce apoptosis in dopamine neurons a nd the mechanism of the cell death was found to be mediated by activation o f caspase 3, which was initiated by collapse of mitochondrial membrane pote ntial. The apoptosis was suppressed by (-)deprenyl, suggesting its neuropro tective function in Parkinson's disease.