title: Postmortem changes in brain catecholamine enzymes.
abstract: Postmortem changes in the activities of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopa decarboxylase, and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase were examined in various areas of rat brain. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity decreased in an exponential fashion with a half-time of two to four hours in caudate-putamen, substantia nigra, and locus ceruleus. Dopa decarboxylase activity remained within 20% of control values at five hours in these areas, but then decreased precipitously. Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity remained within 20% of control for at least 20 hours after death.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000201:enzymology; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011699:Putamen / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000201:enzymology; D013997:Time Factors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase