Apomorphine hydrochloride-induced improvement in Huntington's chorea: stimulation of dopamine receptor
G. U. Corsini, P. Onali, C. Masala, C. Cianchetti, A. Mangoni and G. Gessa
Four patients affected by Huntington's chorea (HC) with a well defined
family history of the disease were injected intramuscularly with
apomorphine hydrochloride in nonemetic doses, ranging from 1 to 4 mg. Soon
after treatment, all patients showed a marked decrease in abnormal
involuntary movements. Pretreatment with haloperidol (2 mg intramuscularly)
or sulpiride (100 mg intramuscularly) 30 minutes prior to apomorphine
treatment, prevented the therapeutic effect of this compound. It is
suggested that apomorphine-induced improvement in Huntington's Chorea is
mediated by the stimulation of a special kind of dopamine receptor, leading
to inhibition of the activity of dopaminergic neurons.
