title: Dopamine receptor changes in response to prolonged treatment with L-dopa.
abstract: Unilateral lesions of the nigro-striatal dopamine (DA) pathway induced contralateral rotations to apomorphine, increased (3H)-spiroperidol binding and enhanced the sensitivity of striatal adenylate cyclase to DA stimulation. Prolonged L-dopa administration counteracted the increased density of (3H)-spiroperidol binding sites but further enhanced the hypersensitivity of adenylate cyclase to DA and decreased the inhibitory effect of opiates on this enzyme. The apomorphine-induced contralateral rotations were also strongly potentiated. On the contrary the binding of (3H)-SCH-23390 was affected neither by DA nerve degeneration nor by chronic L-dopa treatment. These results suggest that DA-D1 and DA-D2 receptors are differently affected by prolonged L-dopa treatment. The biochemical changes of DA-D1 receptors associated with adenylate cyclase seem to be correlated with the enhanced behavioural responses to apomorphine and could be a consequence of a decreased opiate inhibitory tone on the enzyme. The increased supersensitivity of the DA-D1 receptors may play a role in the clinical changes seen in parkinsonian patients following chronic use of L-dopa.
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D016627:Oxidopamine; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects*; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D013134:Spiperone / Q000378:metabolism; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000502:physiology*; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D007980:Levodopa; D013134:Spiperone; D013469:Sulpiride; D016627:Oxidopamine; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D002230:Carbidopa; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine