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Biomedical subjects

A Plaitakis

Publications and source records attributed to A Plaitakis.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Purification and characterization of a soluble and a particulate glutamate dehydrogenase from rat brain.

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity was determined in high-speed fractions (100,000 g for 60 min) obtained from whole rat brain homogenates after removal of a low-speed pellet (480 g for 10 min). Approximately 60% of the high-speed GDH activity was particulate (associated with membrane) and the remaining was soluble (probably of mitochondrial matrix origin). Most of the particulate GDH activity resisted extraction by several commonly used detergents, high concentration of salt, and sonication; however, it was largely extractable with the cationic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in hypotonic buffer solution. The two GDH activities were purified using a combination of hydrophobic interaction, ion exchange, and hydroxyapatite chromatography. Throughout these purification steps the two activities showed similar behavior. Kinetic studies indicated similar Km values for the two GDH fractions for the substrates alpha-ketoglutarate, ammonia, and glutamate; however, there were small but significant differences in Km values for NADH and NADPH. Although the allosteric stimulation by ADP and L-leucine and inhibition by diethylstilbestrol was comparable, the two GDH components differed significantly in their susceptibility to GTP inhibition in the presence of 1 mM ADP, with apparent Ki values of 18.5 and 9.0 microM GTP for the soluble and particulate fractions, respectively. The Hill plot coefficient, binding constant, and cooperativity index for the GTP inhibition were also significantly different, indicating that the two GDH activities differ in their allosteric sites. In addition, enzyme activities of the two purified proteins exhibited a significant difference in thermal stability when inactivated at 45 degrees C and pH 7.4 in 50 mM phosphate buffer.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1984

Neurological disorders associated with deficiency of glutamate dehydrogenase.

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity was measured in leukocytes from 88 patients with various types of degenerative neurological disorders affecting primarily the cerebellum and/or the basal ganglia, and 26 healthy control subjects. Twelve patients with slowly progressive multiple-system atrophic disorders were found to have a partial deficiency of this enzyme (52% of control level). The majority of these patients evidenced a constellation of neurological findings consistent with the diagnosis of olivopontocerebellar atrophy, although others were atypical in their neurological manifestations. Thus, GDH-deficient patients were encountered with predominantly extrapyramidal manifestations (atypical Parkinson's disease), cerebellar dysfunction with peripheral neuropathy, or anterior horn cell signs, suggesting that a pleomorphic phenotypic expression of the enzymatic deficiency may occur. Seven cases of GDH deficiency were familial and 5 were sporadic. The former patient group consisted of siblings of either sex, but no parents or offspring were affected. The genetic pattern of the disorder is compatible with autosomal recessive inheritance. Patients with dominantly inherited olivopontocerebellar atrophy or other types of cerebellar or basal ganglia degenerative neurological disorders showed normal GDH activity. Leukocyte GDH was fractionated into "particulate-heat labile" and "soluble-heat stable" components. In the patients the decrease in activity was limited to the "particulate-heat labile" component. A genetic mutation of a GDH "isoenzyme" may occur in some patients with multiple-system degeneration.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Oculogyric crises and parkinsonism. A case of recent onset.

Oculogyric crisis in association with postencephalitic parkinsonism has been reported only following encephalitis lethargica (Economo's disease). Generally, it has been assumed that this phenomenon would fade away with the demise of these postencephalitic patients. Therefore, we report a case of recent onset of persistent oculogyric crisis with parkinsonism in a 35-year-old man following an apparent attack of encephalitis in 1972.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Homer's moly identified as Galanthus nivalis L.: physiologic antidote to stramonium poisoning.

The antidotal properties of certain naturally occurring medicinal plants against central nervous system intoxication appear to have been empirically established in ancient times. Homer, in his epic poem, the Odyssey, described a plant, "moly," used by Odysseus as an antidote against Circe's poisonous drugs. Centrally acting anticholinergic agents are thought to have been used by Circe to induce amnesia and a delusional state in Odysseus' crew. We present evidence to support the hypothesis that "moly" might have been the snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, which contains galanthamine, a centrally acting anticholinesterase. Thus the description of "moly" as an antidote in Homer's Odyssey may represent the oldest recorded use of an anticholinesterase to reverse central anticholinergic intoxication.

Antidotes↗
PubMed1983

Oral glutamate loading in disorders with spinocerebellar and extrapyramidal involvement: effect on plasma glutamate, aspartate and taurine.

Altered metabolism of neuroexcitatory amino acids has been described in patients with a form of olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) associated with glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) deficiency. To further investigate the specificity of these results, oral glutamate loading tests were performed in healthy controls, patients with GDH deficient OPCA as well as patients with non-GDH deficient degenerative disorders affecting primarily the function of the cerebellum and/or the basal ganglia. Following oral intake of monosodium glutamate, plasma levels of glutamate, aspartate and taurine increased significantly in controls and similar increases also occurred in patients with non-GDH deficient disorders. However, patients with GDH-deficient OPCA showed much greater elevations in plasma glutamate and aspartate and a rather flat taurine curve.

Aspartic Acid↗
PubMed1982

Abnormal glutamate metabolism in an adult-onset degenerative neurological disorder.

In patients with recessive, adult-onset olivopontocerebellar degeneration associated with a partial deficiency of glutamate dehydrogenase, the concentration of glutamate in plasma was significantly higher than that in controls. Plasma alpha-ketoglutarate was significantly lower. Oral administration of monosodium glutamate resulted in excessive accumulation of this amino acid in plasma and lack of increase in the ratio of plasma lactate to pyruvate in the glutamate dehydrogenase-deficient patients. Decreased glutamate catabolism may result in an excess of glutamate in the nervous system and cause neuronal degeneration.

Glutamate Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1981

Relationship of inferior olive-climbing fibers to p,p'-DDT-induced myoclonus in rats.

The effects of 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP), which destroys the inferior olive, and harmaline, which stimulates inferior olive-climbing fiber activity, on DDT-induced myoclonus, wee studied in rats. 3-AP shortened and harmaline delayed the time of onset of myoclonus after intragastric administration of DDT. 3-AP also counteracted the antimyoclonic action of L-5-hydroxytryptophan plus chlorimipramine, clonazepam and phenoxybenzamine in this animal model. The results suggest that these antimyoclonic agents require an intact olivocerebellar pathway for their action.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Glutamate dehydrogenase deficiency in three patients with spinocerebellar syndrome.

Four nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate-requiring enzymes were measured in disrupted cultured skin fibroblasts from a 19-year-old patient with juvenile onset of a spinocerebellar and extrapyramidal syndrome. There was marked reduction in the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) (22% of mean control activity); GDH activity was also decreased in homogenates of leukocytes from this patient (38% of mean control activity). GDH activity was measured in the leukocytes of two siblings afflicted with adult-onset spinocerebellar syndrome and found to be decreased in both (29% and 31% of mean control activity); an unaffected sibling had normal GDH activity. Mixing experiments with control fibroblast and leukocyte homogenates did not show the presence of a GDH inhibitor in cells from these patients. This allosterically regulated enzyme was stimulated by adenosine 5'-diphosphate (10(-3) M) and inhibited by guanosine 5'-triphosphate (10(-3) M) in both fibroblast and leukocyte homogenates; these changes occurred in equal proportions in the patients and controls. The decreased fibroblast and leukocyte GDH activity persisted at different concentrations of the enzyme's substrates and with successive passages of cultured fibroblasts. GDH may have an important role in the metabolism of glutamate, a putative neurotransmitter in cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. A genetic deficiency of GDH may underlie some forms of spinocerebellar ataxias.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Chronic Leigh Disease: a genetic and biochemical study.

The large family of a 21-year-old man who died of Leigh disease was investigated for evidence of neurological abnormalities and presence of the adenosine triphosphate-thiamine diphosphate phosphoryltransferase inhibitor factor. Of 217 persons (seven generations) included in the pedigree, 68 were examined neurologically and biochemically. Fourteen (20%), 5 of whom had abnormal neurological findings, were found to excrete the inhibitor factor. Clinical manifestations varied from severe neurological affliction to subtle deficits. A chronic relapsing course was frequently encountered, with exacerbations occurring in association with apparent metabolic stress. Parental consanguinity was identified in the propositus as well as in other family members with neurological abnormalities. Males and females were affected, and no vertical transmission of the trait was found. These multigenerational data suggest that Leigh disease in adults is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and has variable degrees of expression with a wide spectrum of neurological manifestations.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Effect of thiamine deficiency on brain serotonin turnover.

Serotonin turnover has been investigated in regional brain areas of rats made thiamine deficient by pyrithiamine (PT). Following intracisternal injection of [14C]5-hydroxytryptamine ([14C]5-HT), a marked increase in the accumulation of [14C]5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid ([14C]5-HIAA) was found in the medulla-pons, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. [14C]5-HT levels were normal in all of the brain areas except the cerebral cortex which had an increase of 58%. The ratio of [14C]5-HIAA/[14C]5-HT was significantly increased in every brain region of PT-treated rats except the cerebral cortex. Part of this increase in [14C]5-HIAA was shown to be due to impairment of active transport of this 5-HT metabolite out of the brain. However, increased 5-HT synthesis in the cerebellum, hypothalamus, striatum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex was demonstrated by measurement of 5-HT accumulation after inhibition of brain monoamine oxidase. PT-induced increase in endogenous 5-HIAA in the medulla-pons occurred simultaneously with the onset of neurological signs and both parameters were reversible by thiamine administration. These results suggest that acute thiamine deficiency, induced by PT, both increases brain 5-HT synthesis and impairs 5-HIAA efflux from the brain. There is a close correlation between neurological manifestations and changes in brain 5-HT metabolism in acute thiamine deficiency.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Alterations in uptake and metabolism of aspartate and glutamate in brain of thiamine deficient animals.

The high affinity uptake systems of aspartate, glutamate, glycine and taurine were studied in synaptosomal preparations isolated from the cerebellum, medulla-pons and the telencephalon of rats made thiamine deficient (TD) by diet or pyrithiamine (PT). There was a significant enhancement in the uptake of asparate/glutamate (probably transported by the same carrier) by the synaptosomal preparations of the cerebellum only, in both groups of thiamine-deficient animals as compared to controls. This was due to an increase in the number of uptake sites and not to an alteration of the binding affinity. Aspartate levels decreased significantly in all three brain areas of PT-treated animals and this change was greatest in the medulla-pons and the cerebellum and least in the cortex. Glutamate and serine levels were significantly decreased only in the medulla-pons whilst the concentration of glutamine was significantly increased in the three brain regions studied. The changes in both uptake and levels of amino acids in TD rats were reversed by thiamine therapy. Though the uptake studies do not discriminate between an altered aspartergic or glutamergic system, the changes in the levels of aspartate in the cerebellum suggest that the aspartergic system is involved. Since earlier studies showed a selective impairment in the high affinity uptake of serotonin by cerebellar synaptosomes, thiamine deficiency could impair cerebellar function by inducing an imbalance in its neurotransmitter systems.

Animals↗