A brain-specific dopaminergic response is elicited in a patient in need of such treatment, e.g., a patient afflicted with Parkinson's disease of hyperprolactinemia, by administering thereto a therapeutically effective amount of preferably catechol protected dopamine tethered to a reduced, blood-brain barrier penetrating lipoidal form [D-DHC] of a dihydropyridine-><-pyridinium salt type redox carrier, e.g., 1,4-dihydrotrigonelline. Oxidation of the dihydropyridine carrier moiety in vivo to the ionic pyridinium salt type dopamine/carrier entity [D-QC]+ prevents elimination thereof from the brain, while elimination from the general circulation is accelerated, resulting in significant and prolongedly sustained brain-specific dopaminergic activity.
Brain-specific delivery of dopamine utilizing dihydropyridine/pyridinium salt-type redox carriers