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

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 a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Movement disorders 2009-07, Vol.24 (9), p.1339-1343
Main Authors: Müller, Thomas, Kuhn, Wilfried
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absorption
Aged
Analysis of Variance
Antiparkinson Agents - administration & dosage
Antiparkinson Agents - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases
Dihydroxyphenylalanine - analogs & derivatives
Dihydroxyphenylalanine - blood
Female
homocysteine
Homocysteine - blood
Humans
levodopa
Levodopa - administration & dosage
Levodopa - blood
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neurology
Parkinson Disease - blood
Parkinson Disease - drug therapy
Parkinson's disease
Severity of Illness Index
Statistics as Topic
Time Factors
Tyrosine - analogs & derivatives
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Summary: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
ISSN:0885-3185
1531-8257
DOI:10.1002/mds.22607