The cuprizone mouse model is one of the most accepted model systems for the investigation of oligodendrocyte degeneration, a process critically involved in the pathogenesis of diseases such as multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia. In order to substitute the in vivo experiments by in vitro approaches, the amine derivative BiMPi is introduced as a water-soluble alternative to cuprizone. Regarding superoxide dismutase activity, toxicity for oligodendrocytes, and disturbance of mitochondrial membrane potential, BiMPi shows similar in vitro effects as is observed in vivo for cuprizone.