title: Raised nitrate concentration and low SOD activity in the CSF of sporadic ALS patients.
abstract: To determine whether or not the occurrence of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) is associated with both excess nitric oxide (NO) metabolites and decreased protective superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), we measured nitrate concentration and SOD activity in the CSF of sALS patients and in age- and gender-matched controls. We found stable NO metabolite levels to be significantly higher and SOD activity lower in the CSF of sALS patients. In addition, SOD showed a negative correlation with motor neuron axonal damage expressed as the amplitude of motor action potentials in upper limbs. Our results provide new evidence in vivo suggesting that NO products and SOD activity play a role in oxidant/ antioxidant imbalance in sporadic ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia "Manuel Velasco Suárez", Insurgentes Sur 3877, Mexico City 14269 DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Marie-Catherine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Boll
authors.forename: Mireya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcaraz-Zubeldia
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montes
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murillo-Bonilla
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rios
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009566:Nitrates / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase