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Title: Tolerance to novel antiparkinson drugs: Role of D1 dopamine receptor down-regulation (Advisor: Dr. R.B. Mailman - Sponsor: Dr. W.E. Bollenbacher - Mentor: K.L. Neitzel)
My project is to determine whether D1 receptor down-regulation (due to continuous receptor occupation by a full D1 agonist) occurs in parallel with the development of tolerance in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease. My studies show that while it is possible that some full D1 agonists may cause down-regulation in the density of D1 receptors, not all full D1 agonists have this effect. This finding indicates that while receptor down-regulation may be correlated with tolerance, it is not a one-to-one relationship, suggesting the involvement of other mechanisms. Once the molecular mechanisms behind tolerance are understood, this will allow for the development of novel treatments for Parkinson's disease that do not cause the undesirable side effects of current drug treatments. |
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