ISSN:
1471-4159
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract: Rats were fed maximally tolerated doses of l-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) and carbidopa daily for 120 days in order to achieve a sustained elevation in brain dopamine levels. Some animals were also given buthionine sulfoximine, a γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase inhibitor, in an unsuccessful effort to reduce brain glutathione contents. l-DOPA- and carbidopa-treated animals displayed no behavioral changes suggestive of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal loss. When sacrificed 60 days after L-DOPA treatment ended, all rats had normal tyrosine hydroxylase activities and dopamine contents in their striata, and cell counts were normal in the substantia nigra. It therefore seems unlikely that a model of Parkinson's disease, suitable for exploring the etiological importance of glutathione deficiency, can be produced in rats merely by administering the largest tolerable doses of l-DOPA.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.1984.tb12834.x
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