title: Suppression of L-dopa-induced circling in rats with nigral lesions by blockade of central dopa-decarboxylase: implications for mechanism of action of L-dopa in parkinsonism.
abstract: Dopamine (DA) elevations in rat striatum produced by combined administration of L-dopa and carbidopa were abolished when L-dopa was injected with NSD-1015, an inhibitor of central dopa-decarboxylase. In all rats with unilateral 6-OH-DA nigral lesions, L-dopa-induced contraversive circling occurred after carbidopa, but was totally abolished (in 60%) or markedly suppressed after pretreatment with NSD-1015. Administration of the DA metabolites DOPAC and HVA systemically and of 3-methoxytyramine intrastriatally evoked no circling in animals with 6-OH-DA lesions. In rats with unilateral nigrotomies, the direction of L-dopa-induced circling was reversed and became ipsiversive after DA receptors were reduced by the addition of kainic acid lesions in ipsilateral striata. Findings provide evidence that circling in rats--and by analogy, efficacy in parkinsonians--requires the decarboxylation of exogenous L-dopa and interaction of the formed DA with DA receptors in striatum.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007980:Levodopa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D006834:Hydrazines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D007980:Levodopa; C004297:3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase; D004298:Dopamine