title: No changes in central quinolinic acid levels in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Levels of the endogenous excitotoxin quinolinic acid were measured in brain and lumbar spinal fluid from Alzheimer patients and age-matched controls. Values in post mortem brain tissue, unlike those in spinal fluid, showed considerable variability among subjects. In the control group, frontal cortex and caudate nucleus had higher concentrations of quinolinic acid compared to other regions studied. No significant differences were found between Alzheimer brains and controls in any of the regions analyzed. Studies in lumbar spinal fluid showed no gradient for quinolinic acid along the neuraxis, a trend for increasing levels with normal aging, and no difference between Alzheimer patients and age-matched control subjects. The lack of increased central quinolinic acid levels in Alzheimer's disease does not necessarily negate the possibility of excitotoxins contributing to cell death in this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mourdian
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Heyes
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Heuser
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Markey
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Chase
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mouradian
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D017378:Quinolinic Acid; D011805:Quinolinic Acids / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011805:Quinolinic Acids; D017378:Quinolinic Acid