glutaminase and Huntington-Disease

The activity of phosphate-activated glutaminase was reduced throughout the brain of cases with longstanding illnesses (agonal controls) compared to cases dying suddenly. The reduction was less marked in cortical than sub-cortical areas, with the caudate nucleus occupying an intermediate position. In control brains succinic dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase were little affected by the ante-mortem clinical state. Of 9 brain areas studied, only the caudate nucleus showed a reduction of phosphate-activated glutaminase and succinic dehydrogenase in Huntington's disease greater than in agonal controls. The levels of succinic dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase were highly correlated in frontal cortex and in caudate nucleus of Huntington's disease and control brains. There was a significant reduction in pyruvate dehydrogenase mean activity and a significant increase in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase mean activity in Huntington's disease caudate nucleus. The level of pyruvate dehydrogenase significantly decreased and the level of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase significantly increased with increasing duration of illness, possibly due to a progressive loss of neurons and increase in the density of glia in Huntington's disease caudate nucleus.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Brain; Caudate Nucleus; Death, Sudden; Female; Frontal Lobe; gamma-Glutamyltransferase; Glutaminase; Humans; Huntington Disease; Male; Middle Aged; Phosphates; Postmortem Changes; Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex; Succinate Dehydrogenase

Involvement of phosphate-activated glutaminase in Huntington's disease and agonal state was investigated in caudate nucleus and frontal cortex from postmortem brains. In Huntington's disease the activities of phosphate-activated glutaminase, glutamic acid decarboxylase, succinic dehydrogenase, choline acetyltransferase, and acetylcholinesterase were significantly reduced in the caudate nucleus, but not in the frontal cortex. The activity of phosphate-activated glutaminase, and to a lesser extent of glutamic acid decarboxylase, was reduced in cases of terminal illness, as compared with cases of sudden death. Succinic dehydrogenase and choline acetyltransferase were reduced only in the few cases of prolonged and severe terminal illness. Enzyme activities of the caudate nucleus were more affected by agonal state than were those of frontal cortex. Results indicate that phosphate-activated glutaminase could be a useful marker of neuronal damage due to agonal state, and that phosphate-activated glutaminase and succinic dehydrogenase are reduced in Huntington's disease.

Topics: Acetylcholinesterase; Caudate Nucleus; Cerebral Cortex; Choline O-Acetyltransferase; Death; Disease; Enzyme Activation; Glutamate Decarboxylase; Glutaminase; Humans; Huntington Disease; Succinate Dehydrogenase