The Secret Life of Levodopa

References:
Biosynthetic Incorporation of Oxidised Amino Acids into Proteins and their Cellular Proteolysis. Rodgers K.J., Wang, HJ and Dean, RT. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 32(8), 766-775, 2002
Biosynthesis and Turnover of DOPA-containing Proteins by Human Cells
Rodgers K.J. Hume P.M. Dunlop, R.A. and Dean, RT Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 37(11), 1756-1764, 2004
Translational Incorporation of L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) into Proteins
Kiyoshi Ozawa, Madeleine J. Headlam, Dmitri Mouradov, Jennifer L. Beck, Kenneth J. Rodgers, Roger T. Dean, Thomas Huber, Gottfried Otting and Nicholas E. Dixon
FEBS J. 272 (12): 3162-3171, 2005
Evidence for L-dopa incorporation into cell proteins in patients treated with levodopa
Kenneth J. Rodgers, Peter M. Hume, John G. Morris and Roger T. Dean
Journal of Neurochemistry, 98, 1061-1067, 2006
Misincorporation of Amino Acid Analogues into Proteins by Biosynthesis.
Kenneth J. Rodgers and Nae Shiozawa
The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 40 (8), 1452-1466, 2008
L-DOPA is incorporated into brain proteins of patients treated for Parkinson’s disease, inducing toxicity in human neuroblastoma cells in vitro.
Sandra W. Chan, Rachael A. Dunlop, Anthony Rowe, Kay L. Double and Kenneth J. Rodgers
Experimental Neurology 2012, 238(1): 29-37
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This animation shows the insidious nature of Levodopa.
Ribosome Studio is an animation studio based in Switzerland. We produce high-quality scientific animations, medical animations and mechanism of action movies. For more information go to www.ribosomestu...
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Transcript:
Levodopa is a therapeutic drug that is used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
In the brain, this molecule is converted to the biochemically active dopamine by enzymatic decarboxylation. Dopamine is then used as a neurotransmitter to stimulate muscular movement.
With its amine and carboxyl functional groups; Levodopa is also an amino acid but one that is not used in protein synthesis, sometimes called a non-protein amino acid . It is structurally very similar to Tyrosine and only differs by a single hydroxyl group.
Levodopa enters the brain through an amino acid transporter.
Levodopa is then taken up by specific neurones in the brain called dopaminergic neurones. These specialized cells contain the enzyme AADC that converts DOPA to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
However, in the neuron or any other cell, the similarity of levodopa to Tyrosine allows it to be mistakenly used to synthesize new proteins.
This incorporation causes a change in the protein structure and in some cases the protein is no longer able to perform the correct role. It can even cause the protein to lose solubility
In some cases these abnormal proteins can then be broken down and levodopa returned to the pool of amino acids to be used again.
But some of the misfolded proteins are not degraded efficiently and begin to aggregate inside the cell.
Some of these aggregates become resistant to being broken down and become insoluble plaques or tangles.
This process can occur over many years or even decades.
Eventually, the buildup of these aggregates combined with other stress factors can cause the neurones to undergo apoptosis; a type of cell suicide.
Levodopa and Levodopa containing proteins can then be released into the surrounding environment where they can enter other cells leading to progressive neuronal death over time.
This could have a negative impact on the sufferers brain function.

[@vellum806]

This is superb work. Beautiful animation and explanation.

[@davidr.wilson8194]

A doctor put my dad on this drug and within two weeks he was hallucinating and having psychotic episodes.Just yesterday a neurologist took him off it.Hes currently in the hospital for evaluation.

[@andrescalvo4386]

Told you i am gonna follow you!!! You need better publicity for the videos they are really good!!! You have reddit???

[@ComedyChannelComedyClubBest]

I recently watched your video about the destruction that Ldopa impacts on the brain, please tell me the usual supplements with Mucuna Pruriens, which contains L-DOPA, which are sold without prescription and everywhere (Iherb, Amazon, pharmacies) are also cause such damages to the brain like levodopa drugs? Is it extremely dangerous to take such supplements just to improve mood? Please tell me whether the Tyrosine supplement has the same destructive effect as Ldopa or not?

[@davidcasellas4574]

SOMEONE ANSWER THIS! I wanna know too!

[@produceman13]

I want to know too since I take Mucuna Pruriens. They help my sleep so much...

[@nickmegadeth6633]

Same question here?

[@dannybee5556]

I'm pretty sure it's only synthetic L Dopa, I think mucuna pruriens might be ok. Don't quote me though.

[@ukessko]

Please stay away from it. I’ve been taking it for almost a year and now I’m dependant on it otherwise I experience extreme sadness and cry randomly.

[@ohblimey21]

Nice one lads. What you think you’re achieving by informing Parkinson’s patients that the drug that makes life bearable is virtually poisoning them is hard to fathom. It’s always easy to be clever when you’re standing by the touch line shouting. Somewhat harder when you’re playing the Parkinson’s game eh?

[@incredulofreeman8358]

looks like the description of a poison

[@jorgecorcherogijon]

Great job 👏🏻

[@emresezer1667]

thx for animation...

[@vasimsheikh239]

😂😂😂😂Really.. It may take decades.... We use it in ayurveda for last 5000 years... So please don't worry.... MUCUNA pruriens is safe in appropriately dosage...

[@Monikainlove]

what would be an appropriate dosage?

[@totopolo2379]

true

[@bonniebarney5060]

This is synthetic though..Ldopa mucuna is pure form!

[@colinpierre3441]

Do you still use Levodopa or is the dopa mucuna a reliable replacement? Also, have you ever tried a Tyrosine supplement?

[@bonniebarney5060]

Yes, I use them both, mucuna puriens & tyrosine fr thyroid health...

[@colinpierre3441]

@@bonniebarney5060 Do you know of anyone has successfully used these two supplements for PD treatment?

[@loctruongquang9856]

thuốc này bán ở đâu .cho mình đc.cảm ơn nhiu

[@patrickdematteis968]

Ping pong yong dong

[@suchabadkitty1293]

@@patrickdematteis968 👈🤡

[@devonpatrick4080]

Doesn't you're body make levodopa out of tyrosine? Which it then uses to make dopamine?

[@joelsteele1786]

Indeed it does but it is a tightly controlled process specific to dopaminergic neurons. It would be like a stream versus a tsunami of levodopa

[@zakeryakhan1800]

Neudopa tablat sa ma bahoat perashan ho 2011 sa kata ho sir g koch infarmachan

[@shawnmelton7723]

I'm confused, tyrosine is converted to levodopa by enzymes in the digestive tract before it even hits the blood brain barrier so why would it be mistaken for tyrosine if tyrosine should not be present there in the first place.

[@colinpierre3441]

From the information in this video, can it be said that a Tyrosine supplement is better than Levodopa?

[@bonniebarney5060]

Levodopa is garbage by the fda...

[@pomegranate3250]

No, tyrosine is not broken down to dopamine which makes it useless. Levodopa is used for treating Parkinson's and is an approved drug unlike stupid supplements made out of grass

[@colinpierre3441]

@@pomegranate3250 Are you sure about that? From what I've heard, tyrosine does produce dopamine and it's a natural amino acid unlike levodopa. Also, my mother has been using levodopa over 5 years now and the duration of the effect has severely decreased, not to mention she has been experiencing bad constipation and a suspected case of biliary dyskinesia (haven't confirmed it, but I compared the symptoms and it adds up.. not to mention dyskinesia can also be levodopa-induced).

[@pomegranate3250]

@@colinpierre3441 tyrosine is transformed into levodopa (yeah, that's natural too) in the body so taking the approved medication skips a step and makes it easier. Considering that, tyrosine wouldn't be much different from levodopa in terms of side effects, and remember that any mind-altering drug will eventually form tolerance if taken for long enough (5 years sure is a lot)

[@pomegranate3250]

@@colinpierre3441 if tyrosine worked better than levodopa, it would've already been approved and sold as medication for this specific purpose, instead of being sold as wack nAtUrAL supplements

[@lorenzomaximo1818]

I have Parkinson's and I'm currently on levodopa. So according to this video I guess I'm screwed.

[@Ribosomestudio]

I'm sorry to hear that. Levodopa has side-effects like pretty much every other drug too. The side-effect described in this animation is not the most severe but one with an interesting mechanism of action. Your doctor would not prescribe Levodopa if (s)he isn't sure that the effects outweigh the side-effects.

[@lorenzomaximo1818]

@@Ribosomestudio My doctor had prescribed different medications for me with all adverse side effects that were intolerable. So what am I supposed to do live like I'm feeling torn apart all the time? Why can't they make medications that don't have side effects I don't understand this. It's all poison that they're prescribing just to line their pockets. Everybody puts too much trust in doctors I think they're in the chest for themselves and you die there's somebody else that will take your place. They just don't seem to care. I'm on a Statin for heart disease and things are right about Statin are horrible. But yet my doctor chewed my ass for not taking them. I blame a lot of this on the food industry they're putting so much crap in the food it's poisoning us. And then we run to the doctors with illnesses and they prescribe medications but only mask the symptoms and don't relieve the problem.

[@elliotoliver123]

Try using CBD that might help you

[@lorenzomaximo1818]

@@elliotoliver123 Wish I could get my hands on some I heard it's pretty good I think would help my tremors.

[@xjet]

@@lorenzomaximo1818 I have Parkinson's and I tried a Keto diet. It has helped a little (I've lost 16Kg) and I do feel better with slightly reduced tremors. I've been prescribed levadopa but haven't started taking it yet for fear that the cure might be worse than the disease and because so far, my symptoms are managable in other ways.

[@ryanbashaw4513]

Can you get high on levodopa?

[@8367212]

No

[@chuvito718]

but it can lead to psychosis, depression and schizophrenia-like symptoms as side effects