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Effects of a seven-day continuous infusion of L-DOPA on daily rhythms in the rat
N Simon1, J Mouchet, B Bruguerolle
1Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Médicale (Développement et Pathologie du Mouvement, UMR-FRE), Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, 27, Bd J. Moulin F-13385, Cedex 5, Marseille, France.
Abstract:
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) on the daily rhythms of temperature, heart rate and locomotor activity in rats that received a 7-day continuous infusion. Our results indicate that L-DOPA does not induce a loss of the daily rhythmicity of temperature, heart rate and locomotor activity but modifies the main parameters of these rhythms, e.g. it increased the MESOR (midline estimating statistic of rhythm) of temperature and heart rate and increased the amplitude of temperature but decreased the amplitude of heart rate. Taking into account these results obtained after constant rate delivery, we now plan to investigate the effects of DOPA therapy by changing the time of its administration.
