Effects of sub-chronic combined treatment with pergolide and caffeine on contralateral rotational behavior in unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-denervatedrats

We studied the synergistic effects of pergolide and bromocriptine with caff eine on turning behavior in 6-OHDA denervated rats. Both pergolide and brom ocriptine were synergistic with caffeine, and prevented tolerance to caffei ne-induced turning. When caffeine was removed, tolerance to bromocriptine e ffects was observed for 1 day only, while no tolerance was observed to perg olide. These results suggest that caffeine could be useful in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, preferentially as an adjuvant of mixed dopaminergi c agonists like pergolide. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.