Dopac

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ImageFile=3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid.svg
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IUPACName=2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)acetic acid
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Section1=Chembox Identifiers
CASNo=102-32-9
MeSHName=3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic+Acid
PubChem=547
ChemSpiderID = 532
SMILES=C1=CC(=C(C=C1CC(=O)O)O)O
Section2=Chembox Properties
Formula=C₈H₈O₄
MolarMass=168.14672
Appearance=
Density=
MeltingPt=
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Section3=Chembox Hazards
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DOPAC (dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) is a metabolite of dopamine.cite journal |author=Sistrunk SC, Ross MK, Filipov NM |title=Direct effects of manganese compounds on dopamine and its metabolite Dopac: an in vitro study |journal=Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol. |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=286–296 |year=2007 |month=May |pmid=18449324 |doi=10.1016/j.etap.2006.11.004 |url=]

Pathway

The dopaminergic pathway consists of the following:

----> via MAO -> DOPAC -> via COMT / Dopamine (DA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ---> homovanillic acid (HVA) / ----> via COMT -> 3-MT -> via MAO

Clinical significance

One of the three direct products from the alteration of dopamine (DOPAC, 3-MT (3-methoxytyramine) and noradrenaline) DOPAC is an important metabolite when studying the behaviour of the dopaminergic system for multiple reasons; 3-MT is generally more difficult to assay alongside dopamine and by assessing all three metabolites (DOPAC, HVA and 3-MT) abnormalities in either COMT (catechol-O-methyl transferase) or MAO (monoamine oxidase) can be indirectly identified. This has large ramifications as COMT abnormalities are suspected in various neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia.

References