Abstract
Several neuroactive metabolites of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation have been speculatively linked to the pathophysiology of Huntington's Disease (HD). Here we demonstrate that the levels of two of these metabolites, the free radical generator 3-hydroxykynurenine (3HK) and the neuroprotectant kynurenate (KYNA), are increased in the neostriatum of stage 1 HD patients and in the brain of mice transgenic for full-length mutant huntingtin. In both cases, the elevation in 3HK was far more pronounced, resulting in significant increases in the 3HK/KYNA ratios. These data suggest that abnormal kynurenine pathway metabolism may play a role during the early phases of the neurodegenerative process in HD. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 233-235 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Neuroscience Letters |
| Volume | 283 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 14 2000 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
We thank Dr R. McMahon for help with the statistical analysis and Mrs Joyce Burgess for excellent secretarial assistance. This work was supported by USPHS grants NS 28236 (to RS) and MH/NS 31862 (Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center), a grant from the Hereditary Disease Foundation (to DAT), and a fellowship from the Huntington's Disease Society of America (to PHR).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center | |
| National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health | R01MH031862 |
| Huntington's Disease Society of America | |
| Hereditary Disease Foundation | |
| U.S. Public Health Service | NS 28236, MH/NS 31862 |
Keywords
- 3-Hydroxykynurenine
- Excitotoxicity
- Free radicals
- Huntingtin
- Kynurenic acid
- Neurodegeneration
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience
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