Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0013421 (dystonia)
 8,418 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The effects of competitive and noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists were evaluated in an inbred line of Syrian golden hamsters, in which sustained dystonic postures of limbs and trunk can be initiated by handling or mild environmental stimuli. In this model of paroxysmal dystonia, the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists memantine and MK-801 (dizocilpine) delayed the progression of dystonic attacks in a dose-dependent fashion. The novel competitive NMDA receptor antagonist CGP 37849 (DL-[E]-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid) was more effective than memantine and MK-801, because it retarded not only the progression but also reduced the severity of the dystonic movements. All compounds exhibited antidystonic effects at doses which did not cause marked ataxia or sedation. The data indicate that NMDA receptor antagonists might be interesting candidates for treatment of dystonia.
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PMID:Antidystonic effects of the NMDA receptor antagonists memantine, MK-801 and CGP 37849 in a mutant hamster model of paroxysmal dystonia. 168 81

Recent findings of antidystonic effects of NMDA and non-NMDA receptor antagonists in an inbred line of Syrian hamsters with primary generalized dystonia prompted us to investigate the effects of lamotrigine, an inhibitor of veratrine-induced glutamate release, on the severity of dystonia in mutant hamsters. In mutant dystonic hamsters the dystonic attacks which can be induced by mild environmental stimuli or handling are age-dependent with maximum severity between days 30 and 40 of life (maximum period). Thereafter the severity of dystonia slowly declines (post-maximum period) until the susceptibility to induction of dystonia disappears completely at an age of about 70 days. Lamotrigine (5.0, 10.0 or 30.0 mg/kg i.p.) dose dependently decreased the latency to onset of dystonic attacks. Furthermore, at a dose of 30 mg/kg the dystonic attacks were aggravated when lamotrigine was administered during the max and post-max period. Even in mutant hamsters older than 70 days, i.e. after spontaneous remission of dystonia, and in an inbred line of non-dystonic Syrian hamsters with genetic origin similar to the mutant hamsters, lamotrigine (10.0 or 30.0 mg/kg i.p. and 30.0 mg/kg p.o.) provoked dystonic disturbances. In a genetically different outbred line of Syrian hamsters, lamotrigine did not cause dystonic movements. The unexpected finding that lamotrigine exerts prodystonic effects in genetically susceptible hamsters may be due to the lack of selectivity of lamotrigine to block glutamate release. Tentatively, simultaneous inhibition of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) release might be critically involved in the prodystonic activity of lamotrigine.
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PMID:The novel antiepileptic drug, lamotrigine, exerts prodystonic effects in a mutant hamster model of generalized dystonia. 769 75

The effects of R-(+)-HA-966 ((+)-3-amino-1-hydroxypyrrolid-2-one), a low-efficacy partial agonist of the glycine modulatory site of the NMDA receptor complex, were studied in an inbred line of Syrian golden hamsters with generalized dystonia, a frequent movement disorder in humans. The effects of R-(+)-HA-966 were compared with those of D-cycloserine, a glycine/NMDA receptor ligand with higher intrinsic activity. R-(+)-HA-966, 30-60 mg/kg i.p., potently reduced the severity of dystonic attacks in the mutant hamster model of dystonia without inducing any behavioural adverse effects. D-Cycloserine did not exert antidystonic activity at i.p. doses of 10-40 mg/kg, which might be due to its much higher intrinsic activity at the glycine site. The data indicate that the antidystonic effect of (+)-HA-966 is related to antagonism of NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory neurotransmission.
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PMID:The glycine/NMDA receptor ligand (+)-HA-966 but not D-cycloserine has potent antidystonic efficacy in a genetic animal model of dystonia. 822 2

Attacks of sustained dystonia of the limbs and trunk can be initiated by handling or mild environmental stimuli (e.g. new cage) in mutant (gene symbol dtsz) Syrian golden hamsters. The severity of the dystonic syndrome in these mutant hamsters is age-dependent, with a peak at weaning (21 days of age) and a second peak at about 30-40 days of age. Spontaneous remission occurs at an age of about 70 days. The syndrome in hamsters is thus similar to transient paroxysmal dystonia in children. In the present experiments, it was examined whether dystonic hamsters exhibit age-dependent differences in susceptibility to drugs which affect GABA (gamma-aminobutyrate)ergic, glutamatergic or dopaminergic functions. After acute administration, the GABA-elevating drug aminooxyacetic acid was significantly less potent in attenuating the severity of dystonic attacks at 21 days than at 31 days of age. Similar but less marked age-dependent differences in antidystonic activity were found for phenobarbital and diazepam. In contrast to these GABAmimetic drugs, the NMDA receptor antagonist CGP 37849 (DL-[E]-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid) or the dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol had about the same antidystonic potency at both 21 and 31 days of age. Chronic treatment of dystonic hamsters with aminooxyacetic acid, starting at 21 days of age, did not alter the time course or the severity of dystonia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Alterations in pharmacological sensitivity of GABAergic but not dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems during ontogenesis in dystonic mutant hamsters. 838 61

Antagonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptor have been reported to potentiate the antiparkinsonian action of levodopa and reverse levodopa-induced motor fluctuations in animal models of Parkinson's disease. To evaluate the effect of NMDA receptor blockade on dyskinesias complicating the response to long-term levodopa therapy, we studied the selective antagonist LY235959 in six 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-lesioned monkeys. Drugs were administered subcutaneously, LY235959 at doses of 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 mg/kg and levodopa/benserazide at doses that produced moderate dyskinesias while almost totally reversing parkinsonian signs. Compared with vehicle control injections, LY235959 (3.0 mg/kg) abolished oral dyskinesias and diminished choreic dyskinesias by 68% (p < 0.01). Lower doses had smaller effects, although still significant, on oral dyskinesias (55% reduction at 1.0 mg/kg, p < 0.05). The highest LY235959 dose (5.0 mg/kg) prolonged oral dyskinesia suppression, but tended to increase dystonia severity. LY235959 had no effect on motor function when given alone and did not reduce the antiparkinsonian response to levodopa. These findings suggest that NMDA receptor blockade may ameliorate the dyskinetic complications of long-term levodopa therapy, without diminishing the beneficial effects on parkinsonian signs.
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PMID:Levodopa-induced dyskinesias improved by a glutamate antagonist in Parkinsonian monkeys. 861 38

Recent pharmacological studies have shown antidystonic effects of NMDA and non-NMDA receptor antagonists in an inbred line of Syrian hamsters (dt(sz)) with primary generalized dystonia, i.e. a neurological syndrome of sustained muscle contractions which occurs in the absence of any pathomorphological alterations. This prompted us to examine the levels of kynurenic acid (KYNA), the endogenous broad spectrum antagonist of the excitatory amino acid receptors. The concentrations of KYNA were determined by HPLC in forebrain, cerebellum, brainstem and plasma in dystonic hamsters and age-matched non-dystonic controls. Dystonia in mutant hamsters is transient and disappears completely at the age of 70 days. In order to examine if neurochemical changes are associated with dystonia, KYNA was determined at the age of maximum severity (30 days) and after remission (70 days). The levels of KYNA were significantly increased in forebrain, cerebellum and brainstem (37-130 percent) in dystonic hamsters at the age of maximum severity of dystonia (30 days of life) compared to both a genetically related non-dystonic inbred line and a non-related outbred line of hamsters. The increase of KYNA in brain regions was accompanied by enhanced plasma levels. However, there was no correlation between brain and plasma levels. Since the changes in KYNA levels disappeared in parallel with dystonia (70 days), the present data provide further evidence that abnormal activity of excitatory amino acids may be pathogenetically involved in dystonia in mutant hamsters. With regard to the recent finding of antidystonic effects of glutamate receptor antagonists the increased levels of kynurenic acid may be interpreted as a counteracting process to an overactivity of the glutamatergic system.
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PMID:Increased levels of kynurenic acid in brains of genetically dystonic hamsters. 886 29

The genetically dystonic hamster is an animal model of idiopathic dystonia that displays sustained abnormal movements and postures either spontaneously or in response to mild environmental stimuli. Previous pharmacological studies have shown that competitive and non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists exert potent antidystonic activity in this model, indicating that abnormal NMDA receptor function may be involved in the pathophysiology of this movement disorder. Autoradiographic analysis of NMDA receptor density in 67 brain regions, using the ligand [3H] N-(1-[2-thienyl]cyclohexyl)3,4-piperidine, which binds to the phencyclidine (PCP) site in the ion channel of the NMDA receptor channel complex, revealed that NMDA receptor binding is not substantially altered in dystonic hamster brains compared to age-matched controls. Nevertheless, there was a tendency towards enhanced binding during a dystonic attack in several regions, including a 25% increase in the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus (P < 0.05), which may be associated with altered basal ganglia output. While the data do not indicate widespread abnormalities in the PCP site of the NMDA complex, they do not exclude the possibility of more pronounced changes at other regulatory binding sites of the NMDA complex or other types of glutamate receptors in dystonia.
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PMID:Alterations in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor binding in dystonic hamster brains. 903 Apr 27

The effects of dextromethorphan and its metabolite dextrorphan on severity of dystonia were examined in mutant dystonic hamsters, an animal model of idiopathic paroxysmal dystonia, in which recent examinations have shown antidystonic effects of selective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. Dextromethorphan and dextrorphan are non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonists which additionally exhibit affinity for sigma receptors. Dextrorphan (20 and 40 mg/kg i.p.) significantly retarded the progression of dystonia at the higher dose, whereas dextromethorphan (20, 40, 60 mg/kg i.p.) failed to exert any antidystonic effects even at high doses which caused severe effects. The lack of antidystonic efficacy of dextromethorphan may be related to its higher affinity to sigma receptors compared with dextrorphan.
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PMID:Dextrorphan, but not dextromethorphan, exerts weak antidystonic effects in mutant dystonic hamsters. 903 29

Previously, enhanced levels of spermine which stimulates N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, particularly those containing the NR2B subunit, were found in brains of dt(sz) mutant hamsters, a model of paroxysmal dyskinesia in which dystonic episodes occur in response to stress. Therefore, the effects of the NR2B selective NMDA receptor antagonist Ro 25-6981 ([R-(R,S)]-alpha-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-beta-methyl-4-phenyl-methyl)-1-piperidine-propanol] on severity of dystonia were investigated in the dt(sz) hamster. Ro 25-6981 failed to exert antidystonic effects, but even caused a moderate aggravation at higher doses (10.0, 12.5 mg/kg). This result indicates that overstimulation of receptors that include the NR2B subunit by polyamines is not involved in the dystonic syndrome. NR2B-selective NMDA receptor antagonists seem not to provide a novel approach in the treatment of hereditary paroxysmal dyskinesias.
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PMID:The NMDA receptor NR2B subtype selective antagonist Ro 25-6981 aggravates paroxysmal dyskinesia in the dt(sz) mutant. 1249 13

The LDL receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) is a multifunctional cell surface receptor that is highly expressed on neurons. Neuronal LRP1 in vitro can mediate ligand endocytosis, as well as modulate signal transduction processes. However, little is known about its role in the intact nervous system. Here, we report that mice that lack LRP1 selectively in differentiated neurons develop severe behavioral and motor abnormalities, including hyperactivity, tremor, and dystonia. Since their central nervous systems appear histoanatomically normal, we suggest that this phenotype is likely attributable to abnormal neurotransmission. This conclusion is supported by studies of primary cultured neurons that show that LRP1 is present in close proximity to the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in dendritic synapses and can be coprecipitated with NMDA receptor subunits and the postsynaptic density protein PSD-95 from neuronal cell lysates. Moreover, treatment with NMDA, but not dopamine, reduces the interaction of LRP1 with PSD-95, indicating that LRP1 participates in transmitter-dependent postsynaptic responses. Together, these findings suggest that LRP1, like other ApoE receptors, can modulate synaptic transmission in the brain.
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PMID:Neuronal LRP1 functionally associates with postsynaptic proteins and is required for normal motor function in mice. 1545 62


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