Anonymous
07-01-2004, 10:31 PM
A pt with Parkinsons is given a drug and the amount of L-dopa in the periphery is increased. The pt is given the same drug plus another and now the amount of L-dopa in the CNS is increased much more than in the periphery. Which was the second drug given?
I believe the answer is carbidopa because this is a noncompetitive inhibitor of AAAD allowing more L-dopa to enter the CNS. Carbidopa itself doesnt pass the BBB and is not a Parkinsonian drug per se. Instead it prevents the L-dopa from being biotransformed by COMT to 3-O-methyl dopa in the periphery.
ref: kaplan pharm pg 64
I believe the answer is carbidopa because this is a noncompetitive inhibitor of AAAD allowing more L-dopa to enter the CNS. Carbidopa itself doesnt pass the BBB and is not a Parkinsonian drug per se. Instead it prevents the L-dopa from being biotransformed by COMT to 3-O-methyl dopa in the periphery.
ref: kaplan pharm pg 64