L-dopa reverses the elevated density of D2 dopamine receptors in Parkinson's diseased striatum.
Striatal dopamine receptors were studied using [3H]-spiperone in postmortem tissues of thirty-six patients with Parkinson's Disease. Each tissue was analyzed by the receptor saturation method. In non-treated patients, the D2 dopamine receptor density was elevated in the caudate nucleus and putamen compared to controls. The dissociation constant for [3H]-spiperone was similar in all groups. The elevated density of D2 receptors in non-treated patients may indicate dopaminergic supersensitivity in this disease. The elevated density was reversed with dopamine agonist therapy, but the density was not lower than control tissues.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D011699:Putamen / Q000378:metabolism; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D007980:Levodopa