Oxidopamine

Oxidopamine, also known as 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenethylamine, is a synthetic monoaminergic neurotoxin used by researchers to selectively destroy dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons in the brain.

The main use for oxidopamine in scientific research is to induce Parkinsonism in laboratory animals by lesioning the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta, in order to develop and test new medicines and treatments for Parkinson's disease.

The neurotoxin oxidopamine has first been described in 1959. Years later, in 1968 the first model exploiting oxidopamine neurotoxicity was developed by Ungerstedt, obtaining an animal model of akinesia with a very high mortality rate. Ever since, oxidopamine has become an abundantly used neurotoxin for making animal models with Parkinson's disease.

The toxin oxidopamine is an antagonist of the neurotransmitter dopamine, and is commonly used for making experimental animal models in Parkinson's disease. Parkinson disease leads to degeneration of dopaminergic midbrain neurons resulting in dopamine depletion. Therefore oxidopamine can induce Parkinson disease in animal models. These models can be used to do research for treatments for Parkinson's disease. The toxin is also used for experimental models of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.

Oxidopamine is a neurotoxic, solid and organic compound, derived from dopamine. It is a benzenetriol which is phenethylamine, where the hydrogens on the phenyl ring at positions 2, 4 and 5 are replaced by hydroxyl groups. Oxidopamine is a primary amino compound, a benzenetriol and a catecholamine. The molecular weight of this oxidopamine is 169.18 and has the following molecular formula; C₈H₁₁NO₃. The melting point of oxidopamine is 232 degrees celsius.

The toxin oxidopamine is a relatively unstable compound. In certain experimental conditions, oxidopamine will undergo autoxidation. This may result in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. ROS generation is also increased by oxidopamine via inhibition of complex I and IV of the electron transport chain.

It has no rapid reactions with air or water. The reactive groups for oxidopamine are the phenol-, and amine-group. Oxidopamine primarily interacts with structures containing norepinephrine, but also with structures containing dopamine. However the interactions with dopamine-containing structures are to a lesser extent.^{[citation needed]}

Oxidopamine was long ago characterized and synthesized, starting from 2,4,5-trimethoxy and 2,4,5-tribenzyloxybenzaldehyde respectively, by Harley-Mason and Lee and Dickson. The multistep synthesis of Senoh and Witkop involves the addition of Methanol to become an applicable o-quinone intermediate. In consequence of the general low yields and the relatively involved procedures, it is wished to report an alternate scheme for the synthesis of this pharmacon. In about 60% of the overall yield phenethylamine 3 is prepared via nitrostyrene by starting with isovanillin. The central step in synthesising oxidopamine is a Fremy's salt oxidation of 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenethylamine forming the corresponding p-quinone. The Teuber reaction only succeeds when the amino function is protected by acetylation, carbobenzoxylation or formylation. With the derivatives N-carbobenzoxy and N-acetyl almost quantitative yields of the p-quinone can be obtained.