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S M Aquilonius

Publications and source records attributed to S M Aquilonius.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Choline acetyltransferase activity in human blood and its diurnal oscillation--an artifact?

Diurnal oscillation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-like activity in human blood has recently been reported in the literature. From studies on the pH-optimum of acetylcholine synthesizing activity in human blood we suggest, however, that this activity is only partly related to ChAT, and that the diurnal oscillation observed might be an artifact resulting from the analytical procedure.

Acetylcholine

Choline therapy in Huntington chorea.

Choline chloride was administered orally (3 to 15 gm per day) to five patients with Huntington chorea. A long-lasting dose-dependent elevation of the concentration of free choline in plasma was obtained and the highest plasma concentrations (25 to 30 mumol per liter) were of the same magnitude as those that increase brain acetylcholine content in the rat. However, the choline treatment did not conclusively alter the involuntary movements of these patients.

Adult

Muscle spindle activity in alternating tremor of Parkinsonism and in clonus.

Single unit activity in spindle afferent nerve fibres from the finger flexors, the anterior tibial muscle, and the calf muscles was recorded intraneurally with tungsten microelectrodes in patients with Parkinsonism with resting tremor and in spastic patients with clonus. During tremor of Parkinsonism, involving the receptor bearing muscles, the Ia afferent fibre discharge patterns were similar to those seen previously in healthy subjects during voluntary fast alternating finger or foot movements: besides the stretch discharges occurring during the relaxation phases, discharges also occurred during the contraction phases. Such contraction discharges, presumed to originate from intrafusal muscle fibre contractions, were not seen in the spastic patients during clonus. During the clonic oscillations each afferent stretch discharge was regularly followed by a stretch reflex contraction which on its falling phase elicited a new volley of impulses in the Ia afferent fibres. The findings are considered to support the notion that, like the contractions in normal voluntary alternating movements, the contractions in tremor of Parkinsonism are organized according to the principle of alpha-gamma coactivation, whereas the contractions in clonus are stretch reflexes causing pure alpha contractions.

Adult

Regional distribution of choline acetyltransferase in the human brain: changes in Huntington's chorea.

A stereotaxic method of tissue sampling has been developed permitting detailed studies of the distribution of choline acetyltransferase (CAT) in brains from controls and from patients suffering from Huntington's chorea. The characteristic pattern of CAT distribution within extra-pyramidal structures is described. In Huntington's chorea, CAT is unevenly reduced in several brain regions particularly in the rostromedial part of the caudate nucleus. The results indicate a preferential degeneration of neostriatal cholinergic neurones in Huntington's chorea.

Acetyltransferases