Chronic administration does not alter the pharmacokinetic profile of L-dopa in the rat.

Chronic administration of L-dopa (200 mg kg-1 day-1 for 12 months) plus carbidopa (25 mg kg-1 day-1) or carbidopa (25 mg kg-1 day-1) alone did not alter the t1/2, AUC0-infinity k10, k12, k21, CLp or Vdss of L-dopa following intra-aortic (i.a.) administration (50 mg kg-1) alone or after carbidopa (25 mg kg-1, i.p.) pretreatment, or the t1/2, AUC0-infinity, tmax or the bioavailability (F) of L-dopa (50 mg kg-1) administered orally, alone or after acute pretreatment with carbidopa (25 mg kg-1 i.p.). The peripheral metabolism of L-dopa was unaltered by chronic administration of L-dopa plus carbidopa or carbidopa alone as measured by unaltered AUC0-360 min for 3-O-methyldopa, dopamine, DOPAC or homovanillic acid in the plasma of rats following acute administration of L-dopa (50 mg kg-1, p.o. or i.a.) alone or following pretreatment with carbidopa, and unaltered hepatic dopa decarboxylase activity.