1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium has greater neurotoxic effect after selenium deficiency than after vitamin E deficiency in rat striatum.

The present study was designed to assess the extent of the protective effect of antioxidative capacity of dopaminergic neurons against the possible oxidative stress produced by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium. We have studied the direct effect of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium on striatum slices from rats fed with selenium-deficient or vitamin E-deficient diets for 30 days. Glutathione peroxidase activity decreased significantly after selenium dietary restriction. Our results showed that the effect of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium on dopamine and its metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic homovanillic acid and 3-methoxytyramine in animals with both restriction diets was higher than in controls. However, this effect was significantly greater in animals with low selenium diets than with vitamin E-deficient diets in terms of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, which were all significantly more depleted by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium in selenium-deficient rats than in vitamin E-deficient rats. Therefore, considering changes in the levels of dopamine and its metabolites as an index of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium toxicity, our results seem to indicate that the glutathione-glutathione peroxidase system has a greater protector effect than vitamin E.