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DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF AGONAL STATUS ON MEASUREMENTS OF GABA AND GLUTAMATE DECARBOXYLASE IN HUMAN POST‐MORTEM BRAIN TISSUE FROM CONTROL AND HUNTINGTON'S CHOREA SUBJECTS
Author(s) -
Spokes Ernest G. S.,
Garrett Nigel J.,
Iversen Leslie L.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1979.tb05223.x
Subject(s) - glutamate decarboxylase , putamen , chorea , endocrinology , medicine , glutamate receptor , aromatic l amino acid decarboxylase , human brain , autopsy , choreiform movement , dopamine , biology , neuroscience , parkinson's disease , disease , enzyme , biochemistry , dyskinesia , receptor
— GABA and its biosynthetic enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) remained remarkably stable for many hours after death in both human putamen obtained at autopsy and in mouse brain stored under conditions simulating the routine handling of human cadavers. GAD activity was profoundly influenced by agonal status in control but not in choreic subjects. Conversely, GABA concentrations were unaffected by the agonal status but showed a significant age‐related decline. GAD activity and GABA concentrations were positively correlated in sudden death control cases but not in control cases suffering a protracted terminal illness or in choreic subjects. In choreic putamen there was an approximate 50% reduction in GABA concentration and GAD activity (correcting for agonal status) consistent with the hypothesis that striatal GABA‐containing neurones degenerate in this disease. Since GABA concentrations are unaffected by agonal factors they may provide a reliable marker for the integrity of GABA systems provided that control and pathological groups are matched for age and delay in post‐mortem sampling.