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Letters in Drug Design & Discovery

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1570-1808
ISSN (Online): 1875-628X

L-Dopa Related Hyperhomocysteinemia: A Possible Mediator of Toxicity?

Author(s): Stefano Zoccolella, Giovanni Iliceto, Michele deMari, Giovanni Defazio, Paolo Livrea and Paolo Lamberti

Volume 2, Issue 7, 2005

Page: [558 - 562] Pages: 5

DOI: 10.2174/157018005774479113

Price: $65

Abstract

L-dopa is the most effective drug in the symptomatic management of PD and extends the life span of PD patients.The question whether L-dopa is neurotoxic remains however unresolved. In recent years, increased Homocysteine (Hcy) levels have been observed in L-dopa treated Parkinsons disease (PD) patients, resulting from L-dopa O-methylation by the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase. This review summarizes current evidences supporting the possible role of Hcy as mediator of L-dopa toxicity mainly on dopaminergic neurons.

Keywords: Homocysteine, Levodopa, Parkinson's disease, toxicity, dopaminergic neurons


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