In vitro activity: Rasagiline inhibits rat brain MAO type B and type A with IC50 of 4.43 nM and 412 nM, respectively. Rasagiline is three to 15 times more potent than selegiline for inhibition of MAO-B in rat brain and liver in vivo on acute and chronic administration, but has similar potency in vitro. Rasagiline prevents nuclear accumulation of GAPDH induced by N-methyl(R) salsolinol in SH-SY5Y cells. Rasagiline prevents the collapse in ΔΨm, and following apoptotic process, which indicates that mitochondria may determine the survival and death of the cells. Rasagiline has potent antiapoptotic and neuroprotective activities in response to serum and NGF withdrawal in partially neuronally differentiated PC12 cells and prevents the fall in mitochondrial membrane potential, the first step in cell death. Rasagiline is metabolized to its major metabolite aminoindan, selegiline gives rise to L-methamphetamine. Rasagiline directly activates PKC-MAP kinase pathway by a concentration and time dependent phosphorylation of p42 and p44 MAP kinase.