ISSN:
1573-6903
Keywords:
L-dopa
;
S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM)
;
Parkinson's disease
;
on-off effect
;
dopamine
;
methionine adenosyl transferase (MAT)
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract L-dopa, the major treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), depletes S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM). Since SAM causes PD-like symptoms in rodents, the decreased efficacy of chronic L-dopa administered to PD patients may result from a rebound increase in SAM via methionine adenosyl transferase (MAT), which produces SAM from methionine and ATP. This was tested by administering intraperitoneally saline, or L-dopa to mice and assaying for brain MAT activity. As compared to controls, L-dopa (100 mg/kg) treatments of 1 and 2 times per day for 4 days did not significantly increase MAT activity. However, treatments of 1 and 2 times per day for 4 and 8 days did significantly increase the activity of MAT by 21.38% and 28.37%, respectively. These results show that short interval, chronic L-dopa treatments significantly increases MAT activity, which increases the production of SAM. SAM may physiologically antagonize the effects of L-dopa and biochemically decrease the concentrations of L-dopa and dopamine. Thus, an increase in MAT may be related to the decreased efficacy of chronic L-dopa therapy in PD.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00969090
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