The effect of L-DOPA on brain catecholamines and motility in rats

✍ Scribed by J. Maj; M. Grabowska; E. Mogilnicka

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1971
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 608 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00403624

✦ Synopsis

Normal rats and those pretreated with reserpine or cr were given L-DOPA alone or with extracerebral decarboxylase inhibitor (Ro 4-4602). l~otility was measured at two different time intervals and the brain levels of noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) were subsequently determined.

No simple correlation between the DA or I~A level and motility was observed. The L-DOPA-induced increase in motility appeared only in rats in which: 1. the DA levels were markedly increased; 2. a sufficient amount of I~A was present. Increasing the dose of L-DOPA did not cause an increase in the NA levels.

The present results are in agreement with other published data and suggest that under the conditions studied NA can be displaced by DA formed from L-DOPA and that both amines (DA andNA) are of importance in L-DOPA-induced increase of motility.