title: Brain damage and recovery in hyperphenylalaninemic rats.
abstract: Rats were made hyperphenylalaninemic by injecting a mixture of alpha-methylphenylalanine and phenylalanine. Brain development was measured by biochemical, histological and 31-P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods. In 17-day-old hyperphenylalaninemic rats, brain myelinogenesis was disturbed. Compared to controls, test animals had lower body weights, brain weights, cerebrosides, sulfatides, myelin basic protein (MBP) and reduced cerebroside sulfotransferase (CST) and 2'3'-cyclic nucleotide-3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP) activities. No changes were found in total proteins, total lipids, total phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphorylethanolamine. In the brain of 17-day-old hyperphenylalaninemic rats no changes in phosphomonoesters, phosphodiester and phosphocreatine were found using in vivo 31-P NMR spectroscopy. Because body weights of hyperphenylalaninemic rats were significantly lower than those of controls, we compared them with undernourished rats. Undernourished rats had lower body weights, brain weights and CNP activity. No other changes were found. Therefore, we conclude that hyperphenylalaninemia per se and not undernutrition affected myelinogenesis in test animals. After treatment was discontinued, test rats recovered completely within 6 weeks with regard to biochemical and histological measurements; at 59 days they had normal body weights, cerebrosides, sulfatides, MBP, total proteins, total lipids, total phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphorylethanolamine and normal CST and CNP activities. Brain weights were significantly reduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burri
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Matthieu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vandevelde
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lazeyras
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Posse
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herschkowitz
mesh_terms: D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity; D010661:Phenylketonurias / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015238:Sulfotransferases; D013466:Sulfurtransferases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010649:Phenylalanine; D013466:Sulfurtransferases; D015238:Sulfotransferases; C020556:galactosylceramide sulfotransferase; D015087:2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases