Levodopa reverses cytokine-induced reductions in striatal dopamine release

Studies using neuroimaging and in vivo microdialysis in humans and nonhuman primates indicate that inflammatory cytokines such as interferon-alpha reduce dopamine release in the ventral striatum in association with depressive symptoms including anhedonia and psychomotor slowing.

Herein, we examined whether reduced striatal dopamine release in rhesus monkeys chronically treated with interferon-alpha can be restored by administration of the dopamine precursor levodopa via reverse in vivo microdialysis.

Levodopa completely reversed interferon-alpha-induced reductions in striatal dopamine release. No changes were found in the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid to dopamine ratio, which increases when unpackaged dopamine is metabolized via monoamine oxidase.

These findings suggest that inflammatory cytokines reduce the availability of dopamine precursors without affecting end-product synthesis or vesicular packaging and/or release and provide the foundation for future studies investigating therapeutic strategies that facilitate availability of dopamine precursors to improve depressive symptoms in patient populations with increased inflammation.