Levodopa conversion by gut bacteria (IMAGE)

University of Groningen

Levodopa conversion by gut bacteria

Caption

Levodopa (top right) is converted by gut bacteria to DHPPA (middle right), which has an inhibitory effect on the acetylcholine-induced gut motility (depicted on the bottom right). These findings are of importance to Parkinson's patients, who often experience gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, and show the potential side effects of unabsorbed medication such as levodopa.

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University of Groningen

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