title: Plasma O-methyldopa in levodopa-induced dyskinesias. A bioclinical investigation.
abstract: The peripheral metabolism of Dopa has been studied in correlation with the clinical occurrence of Leyodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson patients. Within the group of patients treated with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor (PDI), the combination of all the plasma levels of O-Methyldopa from patients with dyskinesias shows significantly higher values than those from patients without dyskinesias. For Dopa itself, no significant differnece can be detected. Such high O-Methyldopa levels seem to be due to a progressive accumulation of this compound and not to a higher degree of formation. In contrast, no significantly different Dopa or O-Methyldopa levels are found within the group of patients treated with L-Dopa alone. These results are discussed in relation to some of the suspected mechanisms involved in Levodopa-induced dyskinesias.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001545:Benserazide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008750:Methyldopa / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa; D008750:Methyldopa; D001545:Benserazide; D002230:Carbidopa