2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane and MELAS-Syndrome

Mitochondrial disorders may affect basal ganglia function. In addition, decreased activity of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain has been linked to the pathogenesis of dopaminergic cell loss in Parkinson's disease. Objective : To investigate the dopaminergic system in patients with known mitochondrial disorders and complex I deficiency.. Dopamine transporter density was studied in 10 female patients with mitochondrial complex I deficiency by (123)I-FP-CIT (N-beta-fluoropropyl-2beta-carbomethyl-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)-nortropane) SPECT.. No differences in (123)I-FP-CIT striatal binding ratios were observed and no correlation of the degree of complex I deficiency and striatal binding ratios could be detected.. These data argue against the possibility that mitochondrial complex I deficiency by itself is sufficient to elicit dopaminergic cell loss.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Brain; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Electron Transport Complex I; Female; Humans; Iodine Radioisotopes; MELAS Syndrome; Membrane Glycoproteins; Membrane Transport Proteins; Middle Aged; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Ophthalmoplegia, Chronic Progressive External; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Tropanes