Summary
Previous studies have shown that the dopamine content in the caudate nucleus decreases in Parkinson's disease. The present study has corroborated these findings in man andin vivo. In addition for the first timein vivo presence of dopamine in the non parkinsonian human nucleus has been shown morphologically with histofluorescence method. In the parkinsonian patients the content of dopamine in the caudate nucleus was raised higher when L-Dopa treatment was combined with a decarboxylase inhibitor than when L-Dopa was given alone.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartholini, G., H. M. Bates, W. P. Burkhard, andA. Pletscher: Increase of cerebral catecholamines caused by 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylanine after inhibition of pereipheral decarboxylase. Nature.215, 852–853 (London) (1967).
Bartholini, G., J. Constantinidis, R. Tissot, andA. Pletscher: Formation of monoamines from various aminoacids in the brain after inhibition of extracerebral decarboxylase. Biochemical Pharmacology20, 1243–1247 (1971).
Birkmayer, W., undM. Mentasti: Weitere experimentelle Untersuchungen über den Catecholaminstoffwechsel bei extrapyramidalen Erkrankungen (Parkinson- und Chorea-Syndrom). Arch. Psychiat. Nervenkr.210, 29–35 (1967).
Constantinidis, J.: Thérapeutique du syndrome de Parkinson par association de L-Dopa avec un inhibiteur de la décarboxylase. Acta Neurol. psychiat. Hellen.9, 81–96 (1970).
Constantinidis, J., G. Bartholini, F. Geissbuhler, etR. Tissot: La barrière capillaire enzymatique pour la Dopa au niveau de quelques noyaux du tronc cérébral du rat. Experientia (Basel)26, 381–382 (1970).
Constantinidis, J., G. Bartholini, R. Tissot, undA. Pletscher: Elektive Anreicherung von Dopamin im Parenchym des Rattenhirns. Helv. Physiol. pharmacol. Acta25, 411–413 (1967).
Ehringer, H., undO. Hornykiewicz: Verteilung von Noradrenalin und Dopamin (3-Hydroxytyramin) im Gehirn des Menschen und ihr Verhalten bei Erkrankungen des extrapyramidalen Systems. Klinische Wochenschrift38, 1236–1239 (1960).
Falck, B., N. A. Hillarp, G. Thieme, andA. Torp: Fluorescence of catecholamines and related compounds condensed with formaldehyde. J. Histochem. Cytochem.10, 348–354 (1962).
Gauthier, G., J. de Ajuriaguerra, B. Simona, J. Constantinidis, J. J. Eisenring, M. Krassoievitch, G. Yanniotis, etR. Tissot: Thérapeutique du syndrome parkinsonien par la L-Dopa associé à des inhibiteurs de la décarboxylase. Rev. neurol.123, 297–319 (1970).
Greer, M., G. H. Collins, G. Fla, andA. H. Anton: Cerebral catecholamines after Levodopa therapy. Arch. Neurol. (Chic.)25, 461–467 (1971).
Riechert, T., M. A. Gisinger, undE. Moelbert: Biopsien während stereotaktischer Operationen beim Parkinson-Syndrom. Neuro-chirurgia10, 106–117 (1967).
Siegfried, J.: Die Parkinsonsche Krankheit und ihre Behandlung. Wien-New York: Springer (1968).
Siegfried, J.: Deux ans d'expérience avec la L-Dopa associée à un inhibiteur de la décarboxylase. Rev. neurol.192, 243–248 (1970).
Siegfried, J., R. Klaiber, E. Perret, undW. H. Ziegler: Behandlung des Morbus Parkinson mit L-Dopa in Kombination mit einem Decarboxylasehemmer. Dtsch. med. Wschr.94, 2678–2681 (1969).
Siegfried, J., W. H. Ziegler, C. Fischer, W. Kaufmann, F. Regli, andE. Perret: Treatment of Parkinsonism with L-Dopa in association with a decarboxylase inhibitor. Pharmacologia Clinica2, 23–26 (1969).
Tissot, R., J. M. Gaillard, M. Guggisberg, G. Gauthier, etJ. de Ajuriaguerra: Thérapeutique du Syndrome de Parkinson par la Presse Médicale77, 619–622 (1969).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Constantinidis, J., Siegfried, J., Frigyesi, T.L. et al. Parkinson's disease and striatal dopamine: In vivo morphological evidence for the presence of dopamine in the human brain. J. Neural Transmission 35, 13–22 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245332
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245332