Below we have described about the Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter that regulates movement, reward, mood, and plays a role in neurological disorders.
Function of Dopamine (DA):
- Controls movement, reward, emotion, and endocrine regulation.
Pathways:
- Nigrostriatal → movement control (degenerates in Parkinson disease).
- Mesolimbic/mesocortical → reward, salience (hyperactive in schizophrenia).
- Tuberoinfundibular → tonic inhibition of prolactin release (blocked by antipsychotics → hyperprolactinemia).
- Chemoreceptor trigger zone → vomiting reflex (D₂ antagonists are anti‑emetic).
Synthesis Pathway:
- Tyrosine (from diet or phenylalanine) → L-DOPA
- Enzyme: Tyrosine hydroxylase (rate-limiting)
- L-DOPA → Dopamine
- Enzyme: Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AADC)
Receptors:
- D1-like (D1, D5): increase cAMP
- D2-like (D2, D3, D4): decrease cAMP
Clinical Relevance:
- Parkinson’s disease (↓ dopamine)
- Schizophrenia (↑ dopamine in mesolimbic system)
- Hyperprolactinemia
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