title: No evidence for a peripheral effect of L-DOPA on plasma prolactin in the rat.
abstract: Male and female rats with two permanently indwelling intravenous catheters were infused for 2 hours with ovine prolactin. During equilibrium conditions the effects of intravenously injected L-DOPA and benzerazide (a blocker of dopa-decarboxylase) on steady state levels of ovine prolactin were measured. A dose of 4.5 mg L-DOPA per 100 gr body weight (b.w.) caused a transient increase of plasma ovine prolactin. A dose of 0.3 mg L-DOPA/100 gr b.w. had no effect, neither in males nor in females, while benzerazide (20 mg/100 gr b.w.) had only a slight effect. The experiments suggest that L-DOPA does not affect the peripheral uptake of prolactin from the plasma.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001545:Benserazide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa; D001545:Benserazide; D011388:Prolactin