Free D-aspartate and D-alanine in normal and Alzheimer brain.
In this report we present evidence for the presence of free D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) and D-alanine (D-Ala) in the white and gray matter of normal human brains and brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. D-Asp occurs at about the same concentration in the gray matter of both normal (18.6 nmol/g) and Alzheimer (14.8 nmol/g) brains, whereas in white matter its concentration is more than two times higher in normal than Alzheimer brains (22.4 and 10.5 nmol/g, respectively). D-Ala occurs in white matter at approximately the same concentration in both normal and Alzheimer brains (12.3 and 13.8 nmol/g, respectively), whereas in Alzheimer gray matter the D-Ala concentration is more than twice that found in normal gray matter (20.8 and 9.5 nmol/g, respectively). However, when the results are expressed as a percentage of D-amino acid/D+L, only small differences occur in all tissues examined.
Department of Chemistry, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL 33161.
G H
GH
Fisher
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D'Aniello
A
A
Vetere
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L
Padula
G P
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Cusano
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Man
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000409:Alanine / Q000032:analysis*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007536:Isomerism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
D001224:Aspartic Acid; D000409:Alanine