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AN ANALYSIS OF THE PERIPHERAL EFFECTS OF l ‐DOPA ON AUTONOMIC NERVE FUNCTION
Author(s) -
ANTONACCIO M.J.,
ROBSON R.D.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1974.tb09685.x
Subject(s) - peripheral , function (biology) , peripheral nerve , autonomic nerve , neuroscience , autonomic nervous system , chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , heart rate , blood pressure
1 The ability of intravenous l ‐DOPA to block sympathetic and parsympathetic nerves has been studied in cats and dogs pretreated with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. 2 l ‐DOPA inhibited positive chronotropic and pressor responses to dimethylphenylpiperazinium (DMPP) and McN‐A‐343 in dogs, and contractions of the nictitating membrane produced by these ganglion stimulants in cats. 3 Responses of the cat nictitating membrane to preganglionic stimulation were inhibited by l ‐DOPA to a greater extent than those to postganglionic stimulation of the cervical sympathetic chain. 4 In dogs, l ‐DOPA had no vagolytic action, but depressed vasoconstrictor responses elicited in the perfused hind‐limb by electrical stimulation of the lumbar sympathetic chain. 5 The degree of lumbar sympathetic chain inhibition correlated with the pressor response following l ‐DOPA, and both effects were prevented by prior decarboxylase inhibition. 6 These results suggest that the decarboxylation products of l ‐DOPA do not impair parasympathetic nerve activity but depress sympathetic nerve function predominantly by inhibiting both muscarinic and nicotinic sites of sympathetic ganglia.