Premium
Parkinsonism treated with 3‐0‐methyldopa
Author(s) -
Calne Donald B.,
Reid John L.,
Vakil Sarosh D.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt1973143386
Subject(s) - levodopa , parkinsonism , methyldopa , medicine , demethylation , pharmacology , gastroenterology , parkinson's disease , disease , biology , blood pressure , biochemistry , gene expression , dna methylation , gene
In comparison with levodopa, 3‐0‐methyldopa (30MD) is inadequate treatment for Parkinsonism. Therapeutic concentrations of levodopa could not be detected in the blood of patients receiving 6 gm per day of 30MD for 10 weeks. It is concluded that 30MD is not demethylated to levodopa in appreciable quantities in man. A possible explanation is the inability of man to excrete 30MD in the bile and the consequent failure of the intestinal bacterial flora to bring ab out demethylation.