Reduction in basal ganglia and substantia nigra substance P levels in Huntington's disease.
Substance P (SP) levels were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in several regions of post-mortem brain of controls and Huntington's disease (HD) patients. In controls, highest SP levels were found in basal ganglia, substantia nigra and hypothalamus. Nigral pars reticulata contained 3--4-fold higher levels than pars compacta. In HD, SP levels were reduced in all basal ganglia and substantia nigra. The reductions ranged from 48% in caudate nucleus to over 90% in nigral pars reticulata. There were no changes in SP levels in HD frontal cortex, thalamus or hypothalamus.
D000368:Aged; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism*
D013373:Substance P