>Tolcapone and entacapone are the first of a new class of drugs for >Parkinson's, which inhibit the enzyme, >catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), found in serum and the brain. C= OMT >degrades both dopamine and its >precursor, levodopa, which is the current mainstay of treatment for >Parkinson's. COMT inhibitors increase brain >dopamine levels, making them potential adjunct therapies to levodopa= . List, I am wondering if taking Quercetin would beneifit some parkin= son patients, it looks here that it is also a catechol-o-methyltransferas= e inhibitor. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid, primary used for people with= =20 allergies, sold in all health food stores. I am holding a product fro= m GNC in my hand called antioxidant Flavonoid formula, it contains 10 m= gs of quercetin powder. I will let you know if it helps my father. Best Wishes, Linda Forrest's Mom Title Quercetin increases the severity of estradiol-induced tumorigene= sis in hamster kidney. Author Zhu BT; Liehr JG Address Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas M= edical Branch, Galveston 77555-1031. Source Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 125:149-58, 1994 Mar Abstract Catechol estrogens have been postulated to mediate estradiol-ind= uced kidney tumorigenesis in Syrian hamsters. As part of an examinati= on of this postulate, we studied the influence of quercetin, a polyphe= nolic flavonoid, on the incidence and severity of estrogen-induced kid= ney tumors, on the metabolic activation of estradiol to catechol est= rogens, and on the inactivation of catechol estrogens by catechol-O-methyltransferase-mediated O-methylation. None of the hamsters treated with 0.3 or 3% quercetin in the diet for 5.7 or= 6.5 months, respectively, developed tumors, whereas all animals trea= ted with estradiol developed kidney tumors. The coadministration of estradiol plus 3% quercetin significantly (p < 0.05) increased t= he mean number of large tumor nodules and the incidence of abdominal met= astases over values obtained with hormone treatment alone. The coadminis= tration of estradiol plus 0.3 or 3% quercetin for 16 days increased rena= l NADPH-dependent estradiol-4- but not estradiol-2-hydroxylase act= ivities by 91 or 73%, respectively, over values obtained with hormone tr= eatment alone. In vitro, quercetin and its structural analog, fisetin, strongly inhibited the catechol-O-methyltransferase-catalyzed O-methylati= on of 60 microM 4-hydroxyestradiol, with IC50 values of approximately = 2-4 microM. Kinetic analyses of the enzyme inhibition by quercetin and fisetin revealed a mixed-type of inhibition (competitive plus non-competitive). Combined treatment of estradiol plus 3% querce= tin decreased the rates of kidney catechol-O-methyltransferase-catal= yzed O-methylation of 2- and 4-hydroxyestradiol by 34 and 22%, respec= tively, from values obtained with hormone treatment alone. Rates of hams= ter liver and kidney microsome-mediated estrogen quinone formation a= nd quinone reduction (redox cycling) in estradiol plus 3% quercetin-treated hamsters were not markedly altered compared to= values obtained in estradiol-treated animals. It is concluded that incr= eased rates of formation of 4-hydroxyestradiol combined with an inhibi= tion of the inactivation of this catechol estrogen by catechol-O-methyltransferase may result in elevated levels of th= is estrogen metabolite, specifically in the hamster kidney, where i= t may undergo metabolic redox cycling and generate potentially mutagen= ic free radicals. Thus, the potentiation by quercetin of estradiol-induc= ed tumorigenesis in hamster kidney supports a role of 4-hydroxyestr= adiol in estrogen-induced carcinogenesis in this species. Language Eng Unique Identifier 94174573 ---------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- MESH Headings Animal; Biotransformation*; Catechol Methyltransferase*; Cytochr= ome P-450*; Drug Synergism*; Estradiol*; Estrogens, Catechol*; Flavo= nes*; Hamsters*; Kidney*; Kidney Neoplasms*; Male; Mesocricetus*; Methylation*; Microsomes, Liver*; NADP*; Oxidation-Reduction*; Quercetin*; Steroid Hydroxylases*; Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. ---------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- Publication Type JOURNAL ARTICLE ISSN 0041-008X Country of Publication UNITED STATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- http://www.medscape.com Medscape is produced by Medscape, Inc. All material on this server Copyright =A9 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 = by the publishers involved. [Click this icon to load the navigation map (0.9Kb)]