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01-09-2013 | Original Article

Alzheimer’s disease: amino acid levels and brain metabolic status

Authors: Maria Concetta Gueli, Gennaro Taibi

Published in: Neurological Sciences | Issue 9/2013

Abstract

To study brain free amino acids and their relation with dementia we measured, by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the concentration of eight free amino acids, amines and related compounds. We used temporal cortex (TC) samples obtained from 13 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and an equal number of age-matched controls (AC). The patterns of free amino acids, amines and related compounds showed significant quantitative changes in AD conditions with respect to healthy ones. In Alzheimer patients, lower levels of GABA were found in the TC (−57 %). Amino acids glutamate (Glu), and aspartate (Asp) concentrations, also appeared significantly reduced in the TC of AD patients (Glu: −30 %; Asp: −40 %) when compared with controls. The significant gap between methionine (Met: −30 %) and cystathionine (Cysta: +60 %) levels in TC of AD people to controls, might suggest an under/over activity of the transmethylation and transsulphuration pathways, respectively. Glutamine (Gln) and Urea were an exception to this trend because their content was higher in AD patients than in controls. Albeit these compounds may have particular physiological roles, including the possible mediation of synaptic transmission, changes in amino acid levels and related compounds (detected in steady state) suggest a modified metabolic status in brains of AD patients that reveals a reduced function of synaptic transmission. Because several evidences show that patients might display quite different concentrations of neurotransmitters in brain areas, assessing metabolites in different and well-characterized AD stages should be investigated further.

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Title: Alzheimer’s disease: amino acid levels and brain metabolic status
Authors: Maria Concetta Gueli
Gennaro Taibi
Publication date: 01-09-2013
Publisher: Springer Milan
Published in: Neurological Sciences / Issue 9/2013
Print ISSN: 1590-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1590-3478
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-013-1289-9

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Alzheimer’s disease: amino acid levels and brain metabolic status

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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