title: Rat brain regional uptake and decarboxylation of L-DOPA following carotid injection.
abstract: Using the carotid injection technique, the regional uptake and decarboxylation of L-DOPA at the blood-brain barrier in the rat was studied. After a single intracarotid injection in the rat followed by decapitation 15 S later, the uptake of L-DOPA was measured relative to tritiated water injected simultaneously as a diffusible internal standard. Decarboxylation was investigated with an injection mixture of L-[carboxy-14C]DOPA and L-[2,3-3H]DOPA. Uptake of L-DOPA studied over the range of 15-5,076 nmol/ml appeared to be a composite of two separate mechanisms. The saturable component had a half-maximal velocity transport value, K-t, of 336 muG. A diffusional, nonsaturable component had a diffusion constant of 0.018. A regional study showed that uptake operated at approximately the same rate in the various brain areas despite marked regional variation in catecholamine concentration. The decarboxylation of L-DOPA also occurred at a similar rate in all regions. Even when L-DOPA was injected at a concentration of 3 mM, 33-51% was decarboxylated within the 15-S period. These results support the hypothesis that L-DOPA movement into the brain occures via a neutral amino acid transport mechanism common to cerebral capillaries of different regions of the brain.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002339:Carotid Arteries; D004058:Diffusion; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase