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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Single Cell Measurement of Dopamine Release with Simultaneous Voltage-clamp and Amperometry
Published on: November 21, 2012
Methylphenidate analogs with behavioral differences interact differently with arginine residues on the dopamine
Trent J Volz1, Nicole L Bjorklund, James O Schenk
1Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, USA.
Abstract:
The methylphenidate analogs N-methyl-4-methyl-methylphenidate and N-benzylmethylphenidate are believed to interact differently with the dopamine transporter (DAT) in vitro and in vivo. Herein, we report that methylphenidate and N-methyl-4-methyl-methylphenidate, but not N-benzylmethylphenidate, protect the rat striatal DAT from the arginine-selective chemical modifying agent, phenylglyoxal. This suggests that methylphenidate and N-methyl-4-methyl-methylphenidate, but not N-benzylmethylphenidate, interact with the guanidine groups of arginine residues in the DAT of rat striatum. This differential interaction may, at least in part, explain the in vitro and in vivo differences between N-methyl-4-methyl-methylphenidate and N-benzylmethylphenidate.
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