Dopac
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DOPAC (dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) is a metabolite of dopamine. The dopaminergic pathway consists of the following:
----> via MAO -> '''DOPAC''' -> via COMT
/ \
'''Dopamine (DA)''' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ---> '''homovanillic acid (HVA)'''
\ /
----> via COMT -> '''3-MT''' -> via MAO
One of the three direct products from the alteration of dopamine (DOPAC, 3-MT (3-methoxytryptamine) 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.
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