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Carbidopa

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File:Carbidopa.svg
Carbidopa

(2S)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydrazinyl-2-methyl-
propanoic acid
IUPAC name
CAS number
38821-49-7
ATC code

[[ATC_code_|]][1]

PubChem
34359
DrugBank
APRD00160
Chemical formula {{{chemical_formula}}}
Molecular weight 226.229 g/mol
Bioavailability
Metabolism decarboxylated to dopamine in extracerebral tissues
Elimination half-life 1-2 hours
Excretion
Pregnancy category
Legal status
Routes of administration

Carbidopa (MK-486, tradename Lodosyn) is a drug given to people with Parkinson's disease in order to inhibit peripheral metabolism of levodopa.

Carbidopa inhibits aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase (DOPA Decarboxylase or DDC), an enzyme important in the biosynthesis of L-tryptophan to serotonin and in the biosynthesis of L-DOPA to Dopamine (DA). Along with carbidopa, other DDC inhibitors are benserazide (Ro-4-4602), difluromethyldopa, and α-methyldopa.

Used in tandem with L-DOPA (trade name levodopa, a dopamine precursor converted in the body to dopamine), it increases the plasma half-life of levodopa from 50 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. CarbiDOPA cannot cross the blood brain barrier, so it inhibits only peripheral DDC. It thus prevents the conversion of L-DOPA to dopamine peripherally. This reduces the side effects caused by dopamine on the periphery, as well as increasing the concentration of L-DOPA and dopamine in the brain.

The combination of carbidopa/levodopa) carries the brand names of Sinemet, Parcopa and Atamet; whilst Stalevo is a combination with entacapone, which enhances the bioavailability of carbidopa and levodopa.

Carbidopa is also used in combination with 5-HTP, a naturally-occurring amino acid which is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin and an intermediate in tryptophan metabolism. Carbidopa prevents 5-HTP's metabolism in the liver, which can lead to elevated levels of serotonin in the bloodstream. Research shows that co-administration of 5-HTP and carbidopa greatly increases plasma 5-HTP levels.

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Smallwikipedialogo.png This page uses content from the English-language version of Wikipedia. The original article was at Carbidopa. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Psychology Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.