COX-2 and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Recent observations link cyclooxygenase type-2 (COX-2) to the progression of the disease. Consistent with this notion, studies with the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) show that inhibition and ablation of COX-2 markedly reduce the deleterious effects of this toxin on the nigrostriatal pathway. The similarity between this experimental model and PD strongly supports the possibility that COX-2 expression is also pathogenic in PD.