title: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: thyrotropin-releasing hormone and histidyl proline diketopiperazine in the spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: In spinal cords from seven amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and four controls, we found no difference in thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) concentration relative to protein content, but there was a reduction per tissue wet weight in ALS. Immunohistochemical localization of TRH in ALS cord was unaltered. Histidyl proline diketopiperazine (HisPro-DKP), a possible metabolite of TRH, was significantly elevated per protein content in ALS. CSF levels of TRH and HisPro-DKP were unchanged. These findings suggest that TRH neurons are not primarily affected in ALS, but TRH and tissue protein are lost together as the disease progresses.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D010879:Piperazines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000032:analysis; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D010879:Piperazines; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; C015924:histidyl-proline diketopiperazine