3.+Drug+Therapy+-+L-Dopa

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==**WHAT IS L-DOPA?** **-- ** ==

 L-dopa is a precursor molecule to the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine falls in the catecholamine subgroup of neurotransmitters. In the central nervous system, dopamine affects the control of locomotion, cognition, and affects neuroendocrine secretion. (Furlanut, Benetello, et al. 2002) L-dopa is converted after it passes the blood brain barrier into a different chemical compound named dopamine by an enzyme named DOPA decarboxylase and is distributed throughout the brain as such.

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 * Chemical components of L-dopa: L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine
 * [[image:dcadmh-loosescrews/l-dopa.jpg width="306" height="155"]]

Chemical components of Dopamine: 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzene-1,2-diol  Image accquired from: [|xray.bmc.uu.se/.../Lovechem/projekt.html]

==**HOW IS L-DOPA USED BY THE BODY?** ** ** ==

The drug is primarily absorbed through the duodenum where it is absorbed into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body. However the L-Dopa is only therapeutically effective once it crosses the blood-brain barrier. It is able to do this through its fat solubility and because of this makes L-dopa an effective treatment compared to dopamine that is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Upon crossing the blood-brain barrier L-dopa is converted to dopamine by an enzyme known as DOPA decarboxylase. This chemcial tranfrormation takes place in the substantia nigera (a cell mass located in the mid-brain and associated with movement). It is then transported around the brain by use of nigrostratal terminals (Furlanut, Benetello, et al. 2002)



Image accquired from [|24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfc2q9f0OL1qb6etto1_400.jpg]

==**WHAT IS THE DRUG EFFECT? HOW DOES IT WORK TO TAME SYMPTOMS?** **<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">- ** ==

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As the dopamine moves throughout the central nervous system it targets neuron receptor sites specific to its chemical compound. Because Parkinson’s disease is caused by a lack of dopamine in the central nervous system the administration of L-dopa seeks to normalize the level of dopamine inside the central nervous system. (Furlanut, Benetello, et al. 2002) The extra dopamine generated by taking L-dopa is able to reduce many of the effects of the disease by binding to the post synaptic receptor sites in place of naturally occurring dopamine. (Furlanut, Benetello, et al. 2002)