Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that appears essentially as a sporadic condition. PD is characterized by massive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, the loss of striatal dopaminergic fibers and a dramatic reduction of the striatal dopamine levels. Over the years, a broad variety of experimental models of PD were developed and applied in diverse species. By using various standardized procedures, neurological disorders in humans can be modeled in animals that recreate specific pathogenic events and their behavioral outcomes. Most insights into PD pathogenesis come from investigations performed in experimental models of PD, especially those produced by neurotoxins. The classical animal models of PD rely on the use of neurotoxins, including 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and more recently, the agricultural chemicals paraquat and rotenone, to deplete dopamine (DA). These toxin induced models have been used to study the pathophysiology of the degenerating nigrostriatal system and to evaluate novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we mainly discuss about the mechanisms of above most popular parkinsonian neurotoxins and also to provide an updated summary of the important characteristics and mechanism of each of these neurotoxins.
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