Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004134 (ataxia)
 15,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recently we showed that 3-alkyl-4-aminobutanoic acids are in vitro activators of brain L-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) that show anticonvulsant activity. Since activation of GAD leads to increased concentrations of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in vitro, these compounds could represent a new class of anticonvulsant agents. Here it is shown that 3-alkylglutamic acid analogues also activate GAD and that all of the compounds in both series are active anticonvulsant agents against low intensity electroshock in mice. The most active compound, 3-isobutyl GABA, was tested further against maximal electroshock in mice and was shown to be very potent after both intravenous and oral administration without causing ataxia. It is not known if brain GABA levels are elevated in vivo by administration of these compounds or if the mechanism of anticonvulsant activity is related to their ability to activate GAD.
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PMID:3-alkyl GABA and 3-alkylglutamic acid analogues: two new classes of anticonvulsant agents. 161 76

Canine Inherited Ataxia (CIA) is an autosomal recessive cerebellar disease of Gordon Setters associated with degeneration of Purkinje and granule cells. To define specific biochemical correlates of neuronal loss, synaptic neurochemical parameters were measured in three cerebellar regions (vermis, "pars intermedia," and hemisphere) at early and late stages of this disease. At one and a half years of age, affected dogs showed the most severe lesions in the "pars intermedia," with a 39% decrease in the number of Purkinje cells and a 29% decrease in granule cells. Neurochemical measurements demonstrated decreased [3H]muscimol binding and elevations in norepinephrine concentration (248% above control) and [3H]glutamate receptor binding (118% above control). At five years of age, reduction of Purkinje cells in the three cerebellar regions ranged from 65 to 91% while loss of granule cells was between 13 and 53%. [3H]Muscimol binding remained low throughout the cerebellum (38 to 59% of control) and norepinephrine concentration and [3H]glutamate binding were markedly reduced from the levels observed at one and a half years. Glutamate decarboxylase activity, [3H]QNB binding and GABA concentration were relatively unaffected. Our results indicate that neurochemical parameters associated with cerebellar neuronal systems demonstrate specific alterations in a chronic degenerative disorder. This study also indicates the importance of evaluating neurochemical measurements with regard to both spared and degenerating neuronal systems and emphasizes the role of compensatory neurochemical alterations in cerebellar degenerative disorders.
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PMID:Synaptic neurochemical alterations associated with neuronal degeneration in an inherited cerebellar ataxia of Gordon Setters. 650 89

Feline immunodeficiency virus, like human immunodeficiency virus type 1, is a retrolentivirus causing neurological disease and immune suppression. Primary neurological complications, including human immunodeficiency virus encephalopathy and peripheral neuropathy, and neuropathological changes, including gliosis, neuronal injury and multinucleated giant cells, have been described for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. Excitatory amino acids have been implicated as a basis for human immunodeficiency virus encephalopathy and the accompanying neuronal injury. Here, we test our hypothesis that feline immunodeficiency virus infection results in glial activation accompanied by enhanced glutamatergic activity, causing neuronal loss. Neurological signs observed in naturally and experimentally infected animals included ataxia, aggressivity and reduced motor activity. Neuropathological changes included gliosis, perivascular cuffing and neuronal dropout in the brains of both experimentally and naturally infected animals, but not in uninfected animals. Feline immunodeficiency virus antigen and genome were detected in the brains of all experimentally and naturally infected animals. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed significantly increased glutamate levels in the feline immunodeficiency virus-infected animals. In contrast, glutamate decarboxylase levels in GABAergic neurons were reduced in feline immunodeficiency virus-infected animals. These findings provide direct in vivo evidence for enhanced glutamate levels in conjunction with neuronal loss, supporting the hypothesis of glutamate-mediated neurotoxicity as a major mechanism in the neuropathogenesis of retrolentiviral infections.
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PMID:Feline immunodeficiency virus causes increased glutamate levels and neuronal loss in brain. 913 Jul 96