Carbidopa/levodopa
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| Agonist | Levodopa |
| Enzyme inhibitor | Carbidopa |
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The combination of carbidopa and levodopa is used to treat Parkinson's disease[1] and Dopa-Responsive Dystonia (DRD). It is sold under several brand names, including Sinemet, Parcopa, and Atamet. The generic name under the British Approved Name system is Co-careldopa.
The combination is utilized to selectively elevate the levels of dopamine in the brain without boosting them in the periphery. The purpose of this is to increase the effectiveness of levodopa and to avoid adverse peripherally-mediated side effects such as nausea and emesis.
Because Dopamine does not cross the blood brain barrier and levodopa does, it is used to increase circulating levels of dopamine in the CNS. Levodopa converts into dopamine in the body naturally.
To mitigate the circulating peripheral effects of L-dopa, Carbidopa is used in conjunction.
See also
References
- ^ Nyholm D (2006). "Enteral levodopa/carbidopa gel infusion for the treatment of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias in advanced Parkinson's disease". Expert review of neurotherapeutics. 6 (10): 1403–11. doi:10.1586/14737175.6.10.1403. PMID 17078781.
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External links
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