Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0016719 (Friedreich's ataxia)
 2,098 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Trace elements might be related with the pathogenesis of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD). Mercury produce cerebellar ataxia. However, it was reported that the content of mercury in the hair of patients with SCD was normal. Therefore, mercury may not be directly related with SCD. It was reported that the content of copper in the hair might be high in patients with Friedreich's disease, or low in patients with late cortical cerebellar atrophy. The normal content of zinc in the hair was reported in patients with SCD. The low content of manganese in the hair was suggested in patients with SCD. Usually Parkinsonism was observed in manganese intoxication in man. Lead may produce cerebellar ataxia. These trace elements might cause SCD. However, the relation is still obscure. The further study should be conducted.
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PMID:[Trace elements in spinocerebellar degeneration]. 858 79

Hairpins (or hairpin-like structures) may play a major role in expansion events of triplet repeat expansion diseases (X syndrome, Huntington's disease, Friedreich's ataxia). The d(GCGAAGC) fragment has been found in the replication origins of phage phiX 174 and herpes simplex virus, in a promoter region of an Escherichia coli heat-shock gene, and in rRNA genes. The paper deals with the application of electrochemical methods to the determination of the DNA heptamer-d(GCGAAGC) which forms very stable hairpin structure in aqueous solutions. On mercury electrodes, this hairpin provides voltammetric reduction signals of adenine and cytosine, and oxidation signals of guanine. Both signals have been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and elimination voltammetry with linear scan (EVLS) in dependence on pH, accumulation time, scan rate, and loop sequences. The EVLS in combination with the adsorptive stripping was employed to the determination of the detection limit (LD) of this mini-hairpin (2 nM). Multidimensional voltammetric data were worked up by Fourier Transform (FT) and for the first coefficient a confidence ellipse was calculated in order to drop out some outlier data. The same method was used also for detection limit determinations. The values of LD obtained by two approaches were compared.
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PMID:Electroanalytical determination of d(GCGAAGC) hairpin. 1511 Feb 43

Degenerative brain disorders (neurodegeneration) can be frustrating for both conventional and alternative practitioners. A more comprehensive, integrative approach is urgently needed. One emerging focus for intervention is brain energetics. Specifically, mitochondrial insufficiency contributes to the etiopathology of many such disorders. Electron leakages inherent to mitochondrial energetics generate reactive oxygen free radical species that may place the ultimate limit on lifespan. Exogenous toxins, such as mercury and other environmental contaminants, exacerbate mitochondrial electron leakage, hastening their demise and that of their host cells. Studies of the brain in Alzheimer's and other dementias, Down syndrome, stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Friedreich's ataxia, aging, and constitutive disorders demonstrate impairments of the mitochondrial citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) enzymes. Imaging or metabolic assays frequently reveal energetic insufficiency and depleted energy reserve in brain tissue in situ. Orthomolecular nutrients involved in mitochondrial metabolism provide clinical benefit. Among these are the essential minerals and the B vitamin group; vitamins E and K; and the antioxidant and energetic cofactors alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10; CoQ10), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced (NADH). Recent advances in the area of stem cells and growth factors encourage optimism regarding brain regeneration. The trophic nutrients acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR), glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and phosphatidylserine (PS) provide mitochondrial support and conserve growth factor receptors; all three improved cognition in double-blind trials. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is enzymatically combined with GPC and PS to form membrane phospholipids for nerve cell expansion. Practical recommendations are presented for integrating these safe and well-tolerated orthomolecular nutrients into a comprehensive dietary supplementation program for brain vitality and productive lifespan.
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PMID:Neurodegeneration from mitochondrial insufficiency: nutrients, stem cells, growth factors, and prospects for brain rebuilding using integrative management. 1636 37