期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1991
卷号：88
期号：7
页码：2721-2725
DOI：10.1073/pnas.88.7.2721
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Monoaminergic neurons use dopa decarboxylase (DDC; aromatic-L-amino-acid carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.28 ) to form dopamine from L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa). We measured regional dopa decarboxylase activity in brains of six healthy volunteers with 6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa and positron emission tomography. We calculated the enzyme activity, relative to its Km, with a kinetic model that yielded the relative rate of conversion of 6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa to [18F]fluorodopamine. Regional values of relative dopa decarboxylase activity ranged from nil in occipital cortex to 1.9 h-1 in caudate nucleus and putamen, in agreement with values obtained in vitro.
