scholarly journals Amino Acid Changes in the Mouse Mutant Dystonia Musculorum Similar to Those in Friedreich’s Ataxia

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Messer
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Experimental Model ◽  
Neurological Disorder ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Red Nucleus ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
Mouse Mutant ◽  
Sensory Afferents ◽  
Recessive Mutant

SUMMARY:An autosomal recessive mutant strain of mouse with a progressive neurological disorder is described. Histopathology is dramatic in the sensory afferents and in the red nucleus. In the cerebellar vermis the concentrations of glutamate, aspartate, glycine and GABA are significantly reduced, and in the cerebellar hemispheres the taurine/glutamate ratio is elevated. These mice may provide a useful experimental model of Friedreich’s ataxia.

scholarly journals Future Prospects of Gene Therapy for Friedreich’s Ataxia

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Ocana-Santero ◽  
Javier Díaz-Nido ◽  
Saúl Herranz-Martín
Keyword(s):  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Viral Vectors ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
First Intron ◽  
Progressive Neurodegeneration ◽  
Feasible Solutions ◽  
Neurogenetic Disease

Friedreich’s ataxia is an autosomal recessive neurogenetic disease that is mainly associated with atrophy of the spinal cord and progressive neurodegeneration in the cerebellum. The disease is caused by a GAA-expansion in the first intron of the frataxin gene leading to a decreased level of frataxin protein, which results in mitochondrial dysfunction. Currently, there is no effective treatment to delay neurodegeneration in Friedreich’s ataxia. A plausible therapeutic approach is gene therapy. Indeed, Friedreich’s ataxia mouse models have been treated with viral vectors en-coding for either FXN or neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor showing promising results. Thus, gene therapy is increasingly consolidating as one of the most promising therapies. However, several hurdles have to be overcome, including immunotoxicity and pheno-toxicity. We review the state of the art of gene therapy in Friedreich’s ataxia, addressing the main challenges and the most feasible solutions for them.

scholarly journals Dicarboxylic Amino Acid Uptake in Normal, Friedreich's Ataxia, and Dicarboxylic Aminoaciduria Fibroblasts

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.B. Melancon ◽  
B. Grenier ◽  
L. Dallaire ◽  
M. Potier ◽  
G. Fontaine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Uptake ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
Acid Uptake ◽  
Normal Cells ◽  
Dicarboxylic Amino Acid ◽  
Normal Individuals ◽  
Kinetics Of

SummaryGlutamic and aspartic acid uptake was measured in skin fibroblasts from patients with Friedreich's Ataxia, dicarboxylic aminoaciduria, and normal individuals. The results showed no difference in uptake kinetics of either dicarboxylic amino acids between Friedreich's Ataxia and normal cells, but reduced uptake velocities in dicarboxylic aminoaciduria fibroblasts. Friedreich's Ataxia fibroblasts were, however, less calcium-dependant and more magnesium and phosphate-dependent than controls in glucose-free incubation mixture. This difference might be related to some degree of glucose intolerance by Friedreich's Ataxia fibroblasts in culture.

scholarly journals Amino Acid Metabolism in Friedreich's Ataxia

1976 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Lemieux ◽  
A. Barbeau ◽  
V. Beroniade ◽  
D. Shapcott ◽  
G. Breton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Genetic Defect ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
Physiological Importance ◽  
And Control ◽  
Csf Concentration

SUMMARY:A study of amino acids determined by sequential Multi-sample Amino Acid Automatic Analyzer in plasma, urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with Friedreich's ataxia and control subjects has revealed a number of mathematically significant variations from normal. Of practical physiological importance are the following: a high urinary excretion of alanine with slightly elevated plasma levels; a low plasma and CSF concentration of aspartic acid in the resence of normal urinary values and finally a low CSF concentration of taurine accompanied by normal plasma levels, but elevated urinary output and renal clearance rates. We postulate that the modifications in alanine and aspartic acid are less specific and probably secondary, but there could be a genetic defect in the membrane transport of taurine and the other β-amino acids in Friedreich's ataxia.

scholarly journals Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Studies in Friedreich's Ataxia and Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS)

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Bouchard ◽  
A. Barbeau ◽  
R. Bouchard ◽  
R.W. Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Nerve Conduction ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Sensory Nerve ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
Nerve Conduction Studies ◽  
Spastic Ataxia ◽  
Group I ◽  
Electrophysiological Studies

SummaryTwenty four ataxie patients were investigated with electromyography and nerve conduction studies. They were divided in two groups according to the area they came from, the evolution of the disease, and the clinical signs. Group I patients from the Rimouski area displayed all the clinical and electrophysiological signs of Friedreich's ataxia. Group II comprised patients who presented with a new syndrome known as the autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS). Although the clinical evolution was better in the latter, there were more electromyographic signs of denervation and the motor conduction velocities were slower. Both groups showed identical and important abnormalities in sensory nerve conduction.The results of electrophysiological studies in spastic ataxia have not been reported to our knowledge. They underline the place of spastic ataxia as distinct f rom Friedreich's ataxia, spastic paraplegia, and the known familial neuropathies.

scholarly journals A Possible Genetic Pattern of Taurine Urinary Excretion in Friedreich’s Ataxia

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Barbeau ◽  
F. Patenaude ◽  
G. Nadon ◽  
M. Charbonneau ◽  
T. Cloutier
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Excretion ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Genetic Defect ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
Uptake System ◽  
Genetic Pattern ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Normal Controls

SUMMARY:The taurine urinary excretion pattern, before and after an oral load of 250 mg taurine, was studied in normal control subjects and in patients with typical Friedreich’s ataxia. It was demonstrated that in both situations the ataxic patients fell within the sub-types of “intermediate” and “high taurine excretors”, while none were “low taurine excretors”. It was also demonstrated that the excretion of taurine after a load in the obligate heterozygotes parents of the ataxic patients was intermediate between normal controls and patients. It is postulated that patients with Friedreich’s Ataxia lack normal regulation of the high affinity-low capacity uptake system for taurine (the TH system) in the brush border of kidney tubules. The low affinity-high capacity uptake system in the same membranes (the TL system) appears to be normal in Friedreich’s patients. The normal allele could be called THN and the variant THF and this trait would be inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion if it is linked to the Freidreich phenotype. Whether this finding is or is not the basic genetic defect in Friedreich’s Ataxia will require more studies to clarify, but it is of interest to note that a similar pattern appears to be present in the fibroblasts of these patients.

scholarly journals Computed Tomography of Posterior Fossa in Hereditary Ataxias

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Langelier ◽  
J.P. Bouchard ◽  
R.B Ouchard
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Posterior Fossa ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Cerebellar Atrophy ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
Hereditary Ataxias ◽  
The Central Nervous System

SummaryNine cases of Friedreich's ataxia and seven cases of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) were submitted to neuroradiological procedures to determine the extent of atrophie processes in the central nervous system. All cases had a computerized cerebral tomography and five were studied with pneumencephalo-graphy. The results show a correlation between the two tests and the comparison between Friedreich's ataxia and ARS ACS.In Friedreich's ataxia, the radiological signs are variable and discrete in most of the cases. In A RSA CS there are constant signs of cerebellar atrophy almost limited to the superior parts of the vermis and anterior lobes.

scholarly journals Effect of Asparagine, Glutamine and Insulin on Cerebral Amino Acid Neurotransmitters

1980 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger F. Butterworth ◽  
France Landreville ◽  
Edith Hamel ◽  
Andrea Merkel ◽  
François Giguere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Medulla Oblongata ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Insulin Treatment ◽  
Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽  
Friedreich's Ataxia ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Amino Acid Neurotransmitters

SUMMARY:Treatment of rats with asparagine or glutamine caused substantial increases in glutamine concentrations in cerebellum and medulla oblongata. Insulin treatment caused a diminution of glutamate and GA BA in these regions of brain. Since it is now well-established that glutamine is a very efficient precursor of the neurotransmitter pool of glutamate in mammalian brain, treatment with asparagine or glutamine could be of therapeutic (replacement) value in the treatment of neurological disorders such as Friedreich's ataxia, in which cerebral glutamate concentrations have been found to be diminished.

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