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Down's Syndrome Individuals Begin Life with Normal Levels of Brain Cholinergic Markers
Author(s) -
Kish Stephen,
Karlinsky Harry,
Becker Lawrence,
Gilbert Joseph,
Rebbetoy Michelle,
Chang LiJan,
DiStefano Linda,
Hornykiewicz Oleh
Publication year - 1989
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.1471-4159.1989.tb01864.x
Subject(s) - choline acetyltransferase , cholinergic , acetylcholinesterase , neurochemical , aché , cholinergic neuron , medicine , neuroscience , endocrinology , acetylcholine , down syndrome , dementia , alzheimer's disease , psychology , disease , biology , enzyme , psychiatry , biochemistry
Abstract We measured the activities of the cholinergic marker enzymes choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in autopsied brains of seven infants (age range 3 months to 1 year) with Down's syndrome (DS), a disorder in which virtually all individuals will develop by middle age the neuropathological changes of Alzheimer's disease accompanied by a marked brain cholinergic reduction. When compared with age‐matched controls cholinergic enzyme activity was normal in all brain regions of the individuals with infant DS with the exception of above‐normal activity in the putamen (ChAT) and the occipital cortex (AChE). Our neurochemical observations suggest that DS individuals begin life with a normal complement of brain cholinergic neurons. This opens the possibility of early therapeutic intervention to prevent the development of brain cholinergic changes in patients with DS.