Homocysteine levels after acute levodopa intake in patients with Parkinson's disease

✍ Scribed by Thomas Müller; Wilfried Kuhn

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 84 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-3185
• DOI: 10.1002/mds.22607

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Levodopa (L‐dopa) administered with a dopadecarboxylase inhibitor (DDI) increases homocysteine plasma levels. This may support the onset of atherosclerosis‐related disorders and neuropsychiatric complications in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This homocysteine elevation is considered as long‐term effect of chronic L‐dopa/DDI treatment. Little is known about the acute effects of L‐dopa/DDI intake on homocysteine generation. The objective of this trial was to investigate the relations between L‐dopa and homocysteine after acute L‐dopa/DDI administration in PD patients with different L‐dopa metabolism. Thirty PD patients were divided into groups with superior (I) and less (II) L‐dopa absorption after standardized intake of 125 mg L‐dopa/benserazide with determination of L‐dopa, 3‐O‐methyl‐dopa (3‐OMD) and homocysteine in plasma at baseline, 30, 60, and 90 minutes. There was a homocysteine increase in Group I (F = 5; P = 0.005) and a moderate decrease in Group II (F = 4.27; P = 0.01). A rise of 3‐OMD (F = 10.51; P < 0.0001) appeared in Group I, but not in Group II (F = 0.91; P = 0.44), accordingly L‐dopa accumulation was better in Group I than in Group II. Thus, in conclusion, L‐dopa metabolism is an important component for homocysteine elevation after one time L‐dopa/DDI administration in PD patients. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society