Animals were treated orally for consecutive 14-day periods with twice-daily vehicle (weeks 1-2) or TC-8831 (0.03, 0.1 or 0.3?mg/kg, weeks 3-8). l-DOPA was also administered, once-daily, (weeks 1-12, median-dose 30?mg/kg, p.o.). For the following two-weeks (weeks 9-10), TC-8831 was washed out, while once-daily l-DOPA treatment was maintained. The effects of once-daily amantadine (3?mg/kg, p.o.) were then assessed over weeks 11-12. LID, parkinsonism, duration and quality of ON-time were assessed weekly by a neurologist blinded to treatment.
TC-8831 reduced the duration of ¡®bad¡¯ ON-time (ON-time with disabling dyskinesia) by up to 62 % and decreased LID severity (median score 18 cf. 34 (vehicle), 0.1?mg/kg, 1-3?h period). TC-8831 also significantly reduced choreiform and dystonic dyskinesia (median scores 6 and 31 cf. 19 and 31 respectively (vehicle), both 0.03?mg/kg, 1-3?h). At no time did TC-8831 treatment result in a reduction in anti-parkinsonian benefit of l-DOPA. By comparison, amantadine also significantly reduced dyskinesia and decreased ¡®bad¡¯ ON-time (up to 61 % ) but at the expense of total ON-time (reduced by up to 23 % ).
TC-8831 displayed robust anti-dyskinetic actions and improved the quality of ON-time evoked by l-DOPA without any reduction in anti-parkinsonian benefit.