Biomaterial Database

Brain glutamate deficiency in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 1987

T L Perry, and S Hansen, and K Jones

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Amino acid contents were measured in autopsied brains of eight patients with the sporadic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in brains of control subjects dying without neurologic or psychiatric disease. Glutamic acid content was reduced in most brain regions and in the cervical cord in the ALS patients, while glutamine contents were normal. Taurine contents were increased, and gamma-aminobutyric acid contents were decreased in some brain regions in the ALS patients. The brain glutamate deficiency in ALS is unexplained, but insufficient production or release of this excitatory neurotransmitter might have important secondary effects on motor neurons.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D001923	Brain Chemistry	Changes in the amounts of various chemicals (neurotransmitters, receptors, enzymes, and other metabolites) specific to the area of the central nervous system contained within the head. These are monitored over time, during sensory stimulation, or under different disease states.	Chemistry, Brain,Brain Chemistries,Chemistries, Brain
D005971	Glutamates	Derivatives of GLUTAMIC ACID. Included under this heading are a broad variety of acid forms, salts, esters, and amides that contain the 2-aminopentanedioic acid structure.	Glutamic Acid Derivatives,Glutamic Acids,Glutaminic Acids
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D000690	Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis	A degenerative disorder affecting upper MOTOR NEURONS in the brain and lower motor neurons in the brain stem and SPINAL CORD. Disease onset is usually after the age of 50 and the process is usually fatal within 3 to 6 years. Clinical manifestations include progressive weakness, atrophy, FASCICULATION, hyperreflexia, DYSARTHRIA, dysphagia, and eventual paralysis of respiratory function. Pathologic features include the replacement of motor neurons with fibrous ASTROCYTES and atrophy of anterior SPINAL NERVE ROOTS and corticospinal tracts. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1089-94)	ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Lou Gehrig Disease,Motor Neuron Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis With Dementia,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Guam Form,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex of Guam,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex 1,Charcot Disease,Dementia With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Gehrig's Disease,Guam Disease,Guam Form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Lou Gehrig's Disease,Lou-Gehrigs Disease,ALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Parkinsonism Dementia Complex 1,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinsonism Dementia Complex of Guam,Disease, Guam,Disease, Lou-Gehrigs,Gehrig Disease,Gehrigs Disease,Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral
D018698	Glutamic Acid	A non-essential amino acid naturally occurring in the L-form. Glutamic acid is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Aluminum L-Glutamate,Glutamate,Potassium Glutamate,D-Glutamate,Glutamic Acid, (D)-Isomer,L-Glutamate,L-Glutamic Acid,Aluminum L Glutamate,D Glutamate,Glutamate, Potassium,L Glutamate,L Glutamic Acid,L-Glutamate, Aluminum