The effect of intrastriatal injection of liposome-entrapped tyrosinase on the dopamine levels in the rat brain

Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). 1999 Nov;45(7):1093-7.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which is mainly characterized by degeneration of the dopaminergic cells in the nigro-striatal system. Due to a lowered L-tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activity, L-tyrosine is not sufficiently transformed to L-DOPA. To date the most common therapy is the administration of the dopamine precursor L-DOPA, with severe collateral effects. Therefore, the substitution of the lacking tyrosine hydroxylase with tyrosinase might be a novel therapeutical approach that would generate specifically L-DOPA from L-tyrosine. We present here evidence that stereotaxic injection of liposome-entrapped tyrosinase is able to significatively increase the levels of dopamine in the rat brain. The catecholamines L-DOPA, dopamine, L-epinephrine, L-norepinephrine were extracted by acid treatment from the brains and detected by HPLC.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Corpus Striatum / drug effects*
  • Corpus Striatum / metabolism
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine / biosynthesis
  • Dopamine / biosynthesis*
  • Drug Carriers
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Epinephrine / biosynthesis
  • Liposomes
  • Male
  • Monophenol Monooxygenase / administration & dosage
  • Monophenol Monooxygenase / pharmacology*
  • Norepinephrine / biosynthesis
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Stereotaxic Techniques

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Liposomes
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine
  • Monophenol Monooxygenase
  • Dopamine
  • Norepinephrine
  • Epinephrine