TREATMENT OF PARKINSONS-DISEASE WITH APORPHINES - POSSIBLE ROLE OF GROWTH-HORMONE

To avoid the main drawbacks of prolonged treatment with L-dopa (involuntary movements and the "on-off" phenomenon), apomorphine was administered only to 14 patients with Parkinson''s disease. This treatment caused azotemia, which was circumvented by switching to N-propylnoraporphine, whose nephrotoxic dose (80 mg 6 times/day) was larger than its therapeutic dose (10-15 mg 6 times/day). Slowly increasing doses induced significant improvement (P < 0.005) in all 24 patients studied, transitory mental aberration in 7 and release of growth hormone in 3 patients tested. In patients previously on prolonged L-dopa administration, the dyskinesia and "on-off" phenomenon were almost identical with N-propylnoraporphine, but both drawbacks were reduced or abolished in 6 patients by coadministration of .alpha.-methyldopa hydrazine plus L-dopa. This coadministration seemed to abolish tachyphylaxis. N-propylnoraporphine is very useful in the treatment of Parkinson''s disease.