Dopamine transporter binding is unaffected by L-DOPA administration in normal and MPTP-treated monkeys.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Radiotracer imaging of the presynaptic nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is used to assess disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD) and may provide a useful adjunct to clinical assessment during therapeutic trials of potential neuroprotective agents. Several clinical trials comparing dopamine agonists to L-DOPA or early vs. late L-DOPA have revealed differences between clinical assessment and imaging of the presynaptic dopaminergic system, hence questioning the comparability of these measures as neuroprotection outcome variables. Thus, results of these studies may have been affected by factors other than the primary biological process investigated.

Methodology/principal findings

We tested the possibility that L-DOPA might interfere with DAT binding. Post-mo

SUBMITTER: Fernagut PO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2989907 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature