Levodopa

Levodopa

Levodopa is a prodrug of dopamine that is administered to patients with Parkinson's due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Levodopa can be metabolised to dopamine on either side of the blood-brain barrier and so it is generally administered with a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor like carbidopa to prevent metabolism until after it has crossed the blood-brain barrier.

(-)-3-(3,4-dihydroxylphenyl)-L-alanine | (2S)-2-amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid | (S)-2-amino-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid | (S)-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine | 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine | 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-L-alanine | 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine | 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-L-alanine | 3-hydroxy-L-tyrosine | 3-hydroxytyrosine | L-3,4-dihydroxylphenylalanine | L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine | L-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-alanine | L-DOPA | L-dihydroxyphenylalanine | L-dopamine | L‐dopa | dihydroxyphenylalanine | dopa | dopamine | levodopa | madopar