Exposure of serotonin (5-HT) to oxygen-derived free-radical-generating system, xanthine oxidase-hypoxanthine or to a Fenton reaction results in the formation of the neurotoxin, tryptamine-4, 5-dione. In cultured embryonic chick brain neurons, incubation of tryptamine-4, 5-dione or its ethyl carbonate derivative resulted in a dose-dependent neurotoxicity (1–100 μM). The addition of sulfhydryl compound, glutathione at 2 or 10 μM significantly ...
