Metabolism of an amino acid with antidepressant properties.
The amino acid D-phenylalanine exerts antidepressant properties which are believed to be due to its metabolism to brain phenylethylamine. We now show that in mice, the increase in brain phenylethylamine levels induced by L-phenylalanine, but not D-phenylalanine, is antagonized by drugs which block the stereospecific decarboxylase enzyme. Our results show that D-phenylalanine metabolism to phenylethylamine is independent of pathways involving L-phenylalanine.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008750:Methyldopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000378:metabolism; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D010627:Phenethylamines; D010649:Phenylalanine; D008750:Methyldopa