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)

The structure and function of the chemicals contributing to the three main peaks seen with 1H NMR spectroscopy, N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA), creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr), and choline-containing compounds (Cho) is reviewed and the changes seen with these compounds in various disease states are briefly outlined. NAA is present within neurons although its biological function is largely unknown. NAA is elevated in several degenerative neurological conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and canavan disease, and in high concentrations it may behave like a neurotoxin. The creatine peak seen with 1H NMR spectroscopy consists of creatine and phosphocreatine which serve as a reserve for high-energy phosphates in the cytosol of muscle and neurons. They also buffer cellular ATP/ADP. The Cho peak seen with 1H NMR consists of a complex mixture of Cho-containing compounds. Cho is a precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and for the membrane constituent phosphatidylcholine. Future studies of changes seen in the Cho peak with stroke, degenerative dementia, drug intake, and infectious and neoplastic brain masses will be of great interest.
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PMID:A review of chemical issues in 1H NMR spectroscopy: N-acetyl-L-aspartate, creatine and choline. 165 Feb 41

The impact of oxidative stress (H2O2) was observed using purified rat motoneuron cultures and H2O2-induced dose-dependent motoneuron death was demonstrated. The apoptotic characteristics of cell death were studied morphologically and using the TUNEL technique. This H2O2-induced motoneuron death was inhibited by the poly ADP ribosyl synthetase (PARS) inhibitors benzamide and nicotinamide. These findings suggest the potential utility of PARS inhibitors in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in which oxidative stress has been suspected to play an important etiopathogenic role.
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PMID:Hydrogen peroxide-induced motoneuron apoptosis is prevented by poly ADP ribosyl synthetase inhibitors. 966 11

The mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle was investigated in skeletal muscle biopsies of 26 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and compared with investigations of 28 age-matched control muscle samples and biopsies of 6 patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and two patients with Tay-Sachs disease. In comparison to the control, SMA and Tay-Sachs biopsies, we observed in the ALS samples a significant about two-fold lower activity of complex I of mitochondrial respiratory chain. To visualise the distribution of the mitochondrial defect in skeletal muscle fibers we applied confocal laser-scanning microscopy and video fluorescence microscopy of NAD(P)H and fluorescent flavoproteins. The redox change of mitochondrial NAD(P)H and flavoproteins on addition of mitochondrial substrates, ADP, or cyanide were determined by measurement of fluorescence intensities with dual-photon UV-excitation and single-photon blue excitation. In skeletal muscle fibers of ALS patients with abnormalities of mitochondrial DNA (multiple deletions, n=1, or lower mtDNA levels, n=14) we observed a heterogeneous distribution of the mitochondrial defects among individual fibers and even within single fibers. In some patients (n=3) a mitochondrial defect was also detectable in cultivated skin fibroblasts. These findings support the viewpoint that the observed impairment of mitochondrial function in muscle of certain ALS patients is caused by an intrinsic mitochondrial defect which may be of pathophysiological significance in the etiology of this neurodegenerative disease.
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PMID:Visualization of defective mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle fibers of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 1054 22

The involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction promoting neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has been suggested. Histopathological and biochemical mitochondrial abnormalities have been reported in both sporadic and familial patients and suggest the contention that mitochondria may play a key role promoting ALS. Animal models of ALS provide a unique opportunity to study this incurable and fatal human disease. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that alterations in mitochondrial physiology occur in the brain of wobbler mice. No significant difference was found in the respiratory control index or adenosine diphosphate/oxygen ratio values between isolated mitochondria of wobbler and control mice. When pyruvate and malate were used as substrates, oxygen consumption was decreased significantly by approximately 33% in mitochondria isolated from wobbler mouse brain compared to controls. Oxygen consumption in the presence of ascorbate and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) was decreased significantly by approximately 21% in wobbler brain mitochondria compared to controls, which suggests impairment in the function of complex IV. These findings are the first demonstration of mitochondrial respiratory chain dysfunction in the brain of the wobbler mouse.
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PMID:Dysfunctional mitochondrial respiration in the wobbler mouse brain. 1122 31

Cases of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) are associated with mutations in cytosolic copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Total SOD activity and functional mitochondrial properties were studied in muscles and nervous tissues of control and transgenic mice mimicking the disease. It was found that total SOD activity was lower in nervous tissues than in muscles in both transgenic and control mice. In addition SOD activity increased during progression of disease in muscle but not in nervous tissue of transgenic mice. Maximal oxygen consumption and apparent Km for ADP were decreased in mitochondria from transgenic soleus (an oxidative muscle). However there was no difference between control and transgenic mice in respiratory parameters of mitochondria in the EDL muscle (a glycolytic muscle). These findings indicate that oxidative stress due to SOD1 mutations could alter energy metabolism in FALS mice, thereby affecting primarily oxidative muscle of the limbs, independently of motoneuron loss.
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PMID:Selective changes in mitochondria respiratory properties in oxidative or glycolytic muscle fibers isolated from G93AhumanSOD1 transgenic mice. 1159 14

The molecular mechanisms by which mutations in the gene for Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) lead to the selective death of motor neurones in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) remain incompletely understood. Previous evidence has indicated that mitochondrial abnormalities may develop during motor neurone injury, but several important questions remain unanswered. We have developed a cell culture model of FALS in which a motor neurone cell line (NSC34) has been stably transfected to express normal or mutant human SOD1 at levels approximating to those seen in the human disease. The aims of the study were to: (i) investigate whether morphological mitochondrial abnormalities occur at expression levels of mutant SOD1 close to physiological levels; and (ii) determine whether the presence of mutant SOD1 causes abnormalities of mitochondrial respiratory chain function and changes in cellular bioenergetic parameters in motor neuronal cells. Using this cellular model, we demonstrate that the presence of mutant SOD1 results in the development of abnormally swollen and pale staining mitochondria. These morphological changes are accompanied by biochemical abnormalities with specific decreases in the activities of complexes II and IV of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain. These same complexes are inhibited when control NSC34 cells are subjected to oxidative stress induced by serum withdrawal. The decrease in respiratory chain complex activity in the presence of mutant SOD1 was not accompanied by decreased expression of representative proteins present in these complexes. Motor neuronal cells expressing mutant SOD1 showed increased cell death when exposed to oxidative stress by serum withdrawal, whereas the presence of normal human SOD1 exerted a protective effect. Under basal, unstressed culture conditions, no change in the ATP : ADP ratio was observed in the presence of mutant SOD1. However, the mitochondrial changes associated with the presence of mutant SOD1 clearly had adverse cellular bioenergetic consequences as shown by increased cell death in the presence of pharmacological inhibition of the glycolytic pathway. We conclude that one important mechanism by which mutant SOD1 causes motor neurone injury involves inhibition of specific components of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain. Therapeutic measures aimed at protecting mitochondrial respiratory chain function may be useful in SOD1 related familial and possibly other forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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PMID:Mitochondrial dysfunction in a cell culture model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 1207 2

Evidence implicating mitochondrial dysfunction in the central nervous system of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) has recently been accumulating. In contrast, data on mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle in SALS are scarce and controversial. We investigated the in situ properties of muscle mitochondria in patients with early-stage SALS and sedentary (SED) controls using the skinned fiber technique to determine whether respiration of muscle tissue is altered in early-stage SALS in comparison with SED. Musculus vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained from 7 SED group members and 14 patients with early-stage SALS (mean disease duration, 9 months). Muscle fibers were permeabilized with saponine and then skinned and placed in an oxygraphic chamber to measure basal (V(0)) and maximal (V(max)) adenosine diphosphate-stimulated respiration rates and to assess mitochondrial regulation by adenosine diphosphate. Muscle oxidative capacity, evaluated with V(max), was identical in patients in the SALS and SED groups (V(0): SALS, 1.1 +/- 0.1; SED, 0.8 +/- 0.1, micromol 0(2). min(-1). gm(-1)dw and V(max): SALS, 3.1 +/- 0.3; SED, 2.5 +/- 0.3, micromol 0(2). min(-1). gm(-1)dw). This study shows an absence of large mitochondrial damage in skeletal muscle of patients with early-stage SALS, suggesting that mitochondrial dysfunction in the earlier stages of SALS is almost certainly not systemic.
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PMID:Mitochondrial respiratory chain function in skeletal muscle of ALS patients. 1273 Oct 9

We performed repeated analysis of mitochondrial respiratory function in skeletal muscle (SM) of patients with early-stage sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) to determine whether mitochondrial function was altered as the disease advanced. SM biopsies were obtained from 7 patients with newly diagnosed SALS, the same 7 patients 3 months later, and 7 sedentary controls. Muscle fibers were permeabilized with saponin, then skinned and placed in an oxygraphic chamber to measure basal and maximal adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-stimulated respiration rates and to assess mitochondrial regulation by ADP. We found that the maximal oxidative phosphorylation capacity of muscular mitochondria significantly increased, and muscular mitochondrial respiratory complex IV activity significantly decreased as the disease advanced. This temporal study demonstrates for the first time that mitochondrial function in SM in human SALS is progressively altered as the disease develops.
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PMID:Muscular mitochondrial function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is progressively altered as the disease develops: a temporal study in man. 1612 98

Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS) is caused by mutations in Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), and SOD1 aggregation and calcium toxicity are involved in neuronal death. However, the effect of altered calcium homeostasis on the SOD1 aggregation is unknown. To investigate whether calcium triggers mutant SOD1 aggregation in vitro, human mutant SOD1 (G93A) was transfected into motor neuronal cell line (VSC 4.1 cells). These cells were then treated with calcium ionophore A23187 or agents that induce intracellular calcium release like cyclic ADP ribose, ryanodine or thapsigargin. A23187 was found to increase mutant SOD1 aggregation and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression. Moreover, the NOS inhibitor (L-NAME) and a NO-dependent cyclic GMP cascade inhibitor (ODQ) reduced SOD1 aggregation, whereas an exogenous NO donor (GSNO) increased mutant SOD1 aggregation, which was also prevented by NOS or cGMP cascade inhibitor. Our data demonstrate that calcium-influx increases SOD1 aggregation by upregulating NO in cultured motor neuronal cells.
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PMID:Calcium-influx increases SOD1 aggregates via nitric oxide in cultured motor neurons. 1805 33

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress contribute to motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Recent reports indicate that astrocytes expressing the mutations of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) may contribute to motor neuron injury in ALS. Here, we provide evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction in SOD1(G93A) rat astrocytes causes astrocytes to induce apoptosis of motor neurons. Mitochondria from SOD1(G93A) rat astrocytes displayed a defective respiratory function, including decreased oxygen consumption, lack of ADP-dependent respiratory control, and decreased membrane potential. Protein 3-nitrotyrosine was detected immunochemically in mitochondrial proteins from SOD1(G93A) astrocytes, suggesting that mitochondrial defects were associated with nitroxidative damage. Furthermore, superoxide radical formation in mitochondria was increased in SOD1(G93A) astrocytes. Similar defects were found in mitochondria isolated from the spinal cord of SOD1(G93A) rats, and pretreatment of animals with the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide restored mitochondrial function, forming adducts with mitochondrial proteins in vivo. As shown previously, SOD1(G93A) astrocytes induced death of motor neurons in cocultures, compared with nontransgenic ones. This behavior was recapitulated when nontransgenic astrocytes were treated with mitochondrial inhibitors. Remarkably, motor neuron loss was prevented by preincubation of SOD1(G93A) astrocytes with antioxidants and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. In particular, low concentrations (approximately 10 nm) of two mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants, ubiquinone and carboxy-proxyl nitroxide, each covalently coupled to a triphenylphosphonium cation (Mito-Q and Mito-CP, respectively), prevented mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced superoxide production in SOD1(G93A) astrocytes, and restored motor neuron survival. Together, our results indicate that mitochondrial dysfunction in astrocytes critically influences motor neuron survival and support the potential pharmacological utility of mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants in ALS treatment.
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PMID:Mitochondrial dysfunction in SOD1G93A-bearing astrocytes promotes motor neuron degeneration: prevention by mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants. 1841 91


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