Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0002736 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
 19,048 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In 200 patients with neuromuscular diseases the author studied malonic dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase activity comparing it with the activity of serum creatine kinase and aldolase. A significant rise in the values of all these enzymes was found only in the Duchenne type of muscular dystrophy, in polymyositis, and less frequently in the limb-girdle type of muscular dystrophy. Raised activity of creatine kinase and sidolase was observed in mothers and sisters of patients with Duchenne type of dystrophy, in patients with non-progressive myopathy, periodic paralysis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and polyneuropathy. With progression of dystrophy the activity of these enzymes decreases.
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PMID:[Serum enzymatic activity in neuromuscular diseases]. 112 44

The causes of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the spinal muscular atrophies (SMA) are, almost without exception, unknown. This ignorance has stimulated the search for animal models to obtain insight into the etiology, pathogenesis and biochemical mechanisms underlying the human disorders. None of the 38 animal models, described in this review, provides an exact animal copy of a specific human motor neuron disease. Most of the models reproduce certain structural or physiological aspects of their human counterparts. The various experimental models can be classified according to the pathogenetic mechanism involved and according to the structural changes observed. Models based on experimentally induced disease, include heavy metals and trace elements (lead intoxication in guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, cats and primates; mercury intoxication in rats; aluminium intoxication in rabbits; swayback in goat kids; calcium and magnesium deficient rabbits and primates and calcium deficient cynomolgus monkeys), toxins (IDPN, vincristine, vinblastine, podophyllotoxin, colchicine, maytansine, maytanprine, L-BMAA, lectins, adriamycin), nutritional factors (ascorbic acid deficient guinea pigs), virus infection (spongiform polioencephalomyelitis, attenuated poliovirus, lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus), and immunological factors (immunization with motor neurons). Hereditary models comprise hereditary canine spinal muscular atrophy, hereditary neurogenic amyotrophy in the pointer dog, Stockard paralysis, Swedish Lapland dog paralysis, "wobbler" mouse, "shaker" calf, and hereditary spinal muscular atrophy in zebra foals, crossbred rabbits,
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PMID:Animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the spinal muscular atrophies. 267 Dec 67

Dissociated human spinal cord cells were grown in monolayer cultures in the presence of serum from normal controls or from patients with ALS or other neurologic diseases. After 20 to 24 days, the levels of choline acetyltransferase, glutamic acid decarboxylase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities were determined in the cultures. On the basis of these biochemical measurements, there was no detectable difference between the effects of the three types of serum on the cultures.
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PMID:ALS serum has no effect on three enzymatic activities in cultured human spinal cord neurons. 396 Mar 35

Four enzyme activities related to glucose metabolism, i.e. those of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH; EC 1.1.1.49), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH; EC 1.1.1.27), pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) and citrate synthase (CS; EC 4.1.3.7) were estimated in posterior root ganglion cells (PRGCs) of the spinal cord in patients suffering from olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by means of the NAD, NADP and CoA cycling methods. In ALS and DMD, the enzyme activities examined were within normal ranges. In OPCA, PDC activity was significantly reduced and LDH activity tended to be lower than that in controls.
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PMID:Enzymatic analysis of individual posterior root ganglion cells in olivopontocerebellar atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 404 97

Enzyme activities of the energy supplying metabolism were investigated in muscle specimens of brachial biceps, deltoid or anterior tibial muscles of patients with traumatic nerve lesions, polyneuropathies, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy and hemiparesis. The key enzymes of glycogenolysis (glycogen phosphorylase), glycolysis (triosephosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase), alpha-glycerophosphate cycle (alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase), beta-oxidation of fatty acids (beta-hydroxy-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase), citrate acid cycle (citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase), hexokinase reaction (hexokinase) and pentosephosphate shunt (6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase) were measured. The present study shows that in case of disorders of the lower motor neuron--especially those with impaired axoplasmic transport--changes in the enzyme patterns of muscles occur at an early stage. The glycolytic enzyme activities are of particular significance because they are the most sensitive indicators of the onset, extent and course of neurogenic atrophy. There is a good correlation between severity of the lesion, functional state of the muscles and reduction of these enzyme activities. In case of traumatic nerve lesions re-innervation can prevent a permanent reduction of glycolytic enzymes only if it occurs during the first months after denervation. In all cases in which operative revision is considered, it is therefore not advisible to wait since the regenerative capacity of the motor neuron is not the only limiting factor but also the biochemical and morphological changes in the muscle fibre. These are permanent after long lasting denervation without re-innervation within the first months. Primary neuroaxonal degeneration of the nerve fibre which was found in the majority of our alcoholic patients obviously impairs the metabolism of the muscle to a greater extent than primary demyelination most frequently observed in diabetics with polyneuropathy. Corresponding to the chronic course of the illness over years and to the severity of the pareses, drastic reduction in the activities of glycolytic enzymes was found in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Simultaneously the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was significantly increased as a result of the chronic neurogenic lesion of the muscle fibres. Follow-up during the treatment of diseases of the lower motor neuron can be performed because the enzyme activities can be measured even in small muscle specimens. In patients with hemiparesis slight but not significant reduction in the glycolytic enzyme activities was found by comparison with a normal control group. We assume that this reduction is due to general inactivity which is caused by the movement disorder rather than to the particular influence of the upper motor neuron.
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PMID:[Biochemical studies on muscles in neurogenic atrophies and central paralysis. Studies of the trophic functions of neurons]. 742 10

We attempt to correlate the patient's disability and serum enzymes (creatinekinase, lactic dehydrogenase, aldolase, glutamic oxalacetic and glutamic piruvic transaminase) in several neuromuscular disorders using the Vignos and Archibald scale (V&A). In 806 cases we studied, serum enzyme levels and the V&A disability using a computer for Pearson's correlation and regressive analysis. A good correlation of the V&A with age suggested a progressive evolution (increased disability) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, fascioscapulohumeral dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, myopathies due to respiratory chain enzyme deficiency and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A negative correlation (decrease disability with age) was found for multicore myopathy, benign myopathy of childhood with type 1 predominance, carnitine myopathy deficiency and dermatomyositis. It was found a correlation (p < 0.05) of the V&A and the level of specific serum enzymes with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, oculocraniosomatic dystrophies, polymyositis and polyarteritis nodosa. Using regression analysis, we found a weak interrelation between serum enzymes studied simultaneously and the V&A. These weak relations suggest some limitation in the long term use of the five serum enzymes in the evaluation of neuromuscular disorders when compared with V&A; although they are very important in the diagnosis.
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PMID:[Correlation between functional disability, age, and serum enzymes in neuromuscular diseases]. 757 10

The neurotoxicity of glutamate has recently been postulated to participate in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and branched-chain amino acids have been proposed as possible therapeutic compounds for this disease. This study was undertaken to investigate whether branched-chain amino acids have any protective effect on cultured neurons exposed to glutamate. Primary cultures of cerebral neurons were prepared from fetal rats, using an established technique. For the assessment of glutamate toxicity, photomicrographs were taken before and after glutamate exposure both with phase-contrast and with bright field following incubation in trypan blue, a dye normally excluded by healthy cells. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase released from damaged cells was also measured. Exposure to glutamate in various concentrations was carried out, and leucine, isoleucine and varine, each separately, were added in advance to culture dishes. Glutamate neurotoxicity was confirmed, but no protective effect of branched-chain amino acids was observed. Although possible clinical benefit of branched-chain amino acids in ALS may not be denied, they do not prevent glutamate neurotoxicity in cultured cerebral neurons.
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PMID:[Effect of branched-chain amino acids on glutamate neurotoxicity in primary cultured rat cerebral neurons]. 761 70

Plant amino acids beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine (L-BOAA, present in Lathyrus sativus) and beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (L-BMAA, present in Cycas circinalis) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of human neurological disorders lathyrism and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-Parkinson's dementia complex of Guam (ALS-PD), respectively. In view of the conflicting reports that have emerged on the role of L-BMAA in ALS-PD, we reinvestigated the comparative toxicity of L-BMAA and L-BOAA. We report here the potent toxicity of L-BOAA as examined in an in vitro model consisting of sagittal slices of mouse brain. Incubation of sagittal slices of mouse brain with L-BOAA (1 pM) resulted in significant leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and potassium from the slices into the medium. Under similar conditions, L-BMAA-induced LDH leakage from the slices into the medium was observed only at very high concentration of the toxin, namely 1 mM. N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists ameliorated the toxic effects of L-BMAA, while non-NMDA receptor antagonists (quinoxalinediones) protected against the toxicity of L-BOAA. Incubation of slices with L-BOAA for 1 h resulted in extensive vacuolation and degeneration of neurons in the thalamus and brain stem, and to a lesser extent in the hippocampus and cerebellar nuclei. The large sized neurons appeared to be affected to a greater extent than the smaller ones. The neurons in other areas of the brain also revealed variable degree of degeneration with swelling of axons and dendrites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Billion-fold difference in the toxic potencies of two excitatory plant amino acids, L-BOAA and L-BMAA: biochemical and morphological studies using mouse brain slices. 790 22

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis possess antibodies (ALS IgGs) that bind to L-type skeletal muscle voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and inhibit L-type calcium current. To determine whether interaction of ALS IgGs with neuronal VGCCs might influence motoneuron survival, we used a motoneuron-neuroblastoma hybrid (VSC 4.1) cell line expressing binding sites for inhibitors of L-, N-, and P-type VGCCs. Using direct viable cell counts, quantitation of propidium iodide- and fluorescein diacetate-labeled cells, and lactate dehydrogenase release to assess cell survival, we document that ALS IgG kills 40-70% of cAMP-differentiated VSC 4.1 cells within 2 days. ALS IgG-mediated cytotoxicity is dependent on extracellular calcium and is prevented by peptide antagonists of N- or P-type VGCCs but not by dihydropyridine modulators of L-type VGCCs. Preincubating IgG with purified intact L-type VGCC or with isolated VGCC alpha 1 subunit also blocks ALS IgG-mediated cytotoxicity. These results suggest that ALS IgG may directly lead to motoneuron cell death by a mechanism requiring extracellular calcium and mediated by neuronal-type calcium channels.
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PMID:Cytotoxicity of immunoglobulins from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients on a hybrid motoneuron cell line. 815 58

The elevation of taurine level in the central nervous system of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) indicates the presence of derangement in sulfur amino acid metabolism in this disease. In the metabolic pathway from methionine to taurine and in its branch pathways, excitatory sulfur amino acids are formed. These are cysteine (Cys), cysteine sulfinic acid (CSA), cysteic acid (CA), homocysteine sulfinic acid (HCSA), homocysteic acid (HCA) and S-sulfo cysteine (SC). This study was undertaken to investigate whether these excitatory sulfur amino acids have any cytotoxicity, since excitotoxicity has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of ALS. Primary cultures of cerebral neurons were prepared from fetal rats, using an established method. Neuronal cell injury was assessed by examination of cultures with phase-contrast microscopy and with bright-field examination of trypan blue staining, a dye staining non-viable cells. The morphological estimate of cell injury was confirmed by the measurement of the activity of lactate dehydrogenase, released from damaged or destroyed cells, in the extracellular fluid. This convenient and quantitative index invariably correlated with the morphological estimates. Among the 6 sulfur amino acids, CSA and HCSA showed cytotoxicity, while Cys, CA, HCA and SC did not. K0.5 of CSA was 80 microM, and that of HCSA was 300 microM. The cytotoxicity of CSA was stronger than that of glutamate, K0.5 of which was 100 microM. Relevance of these excitotoxic sulfur amino acids, especially CSA to the pathogenesis of ALS has not been studied. This possibility will be a subject for future study.
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PMID:[Cytotoxicity of excitatory sulfur amino acids in primary cultured rat cerebral neurons]. 882 91


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