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Deficit of uridine diphosphate galactose in galactosaemia
Author(s) -
Ng W. G.,
Xu Y. K.,
Kaufman F. R.,
Donnell G. N.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of inherited metabolic disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1573-2665
pISSN - 0141-8955
DOI - 10.1007/bf01799215
Subject(s) - galactosemia , uridine diphosphate , uridine , transferase , galactose , intracellular , incubation , medicine , endocrinology , glucuronosyltransferase , biochemistry , uridine diphosphate glucose , enzyme , biology , chemistry , microsome , rna , gene
Summary The levels of uridine diphosphate galactose (UDPGal) and uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPGlc) have been determined in liver autopsy samples, erythrocytes and cultured skin fibroblasts from galactosaemic patients and compared to non‐galactosaemic controls. In patients with undetectable erythrocyte galactose‐1‐phosphate uridyltransferase (transferase) activity, the levels of UDPGal were substantially lower than in controls. In patients with detectable transferase activity, even though in less than 1% of normal values, both UDPGal and UDPGlc levels were in the normal range. Incubation of erythrocytes from both galactosaemic patients and normal individuals with 10 mmol/L uridine increased UDPGal and UDPGlc levels several‐fold, both in the presence or absence of galactose in the incubation medium. We hypothesize that a deficit of UDPGal is responsible for the late onset clinical manifestations in galactosaemia which include ovarian failure, speech defect and neurological abnormalities. We suggest that uridine administration may be of therapeutic value in raising the intracellular concentrations of UDPGal. We conclude that the transferase reaction, however small in activity, is essential for optimal UDPGal formation.