title: Beneficial effect of L-arginine for stroke-like episode in MELAS.
abstract: We here reported the clinical course and therapeutic details of a 16-year-old girl with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) who had had five stroke-like episodes (two episodes were clinically mild, while the three subsequent episodes were severe). Among the three episodes, the symptoms improved earliest and magnetic resonance spectroscopy abnormality was minimal when given L-arginine in addition to prednisolone, glycerol and edalavone. L-arginine administration during the acute phase of MELAS might be a potential therapy to reduce brain damage due to mitochondrial dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. mkmegped@opal.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakakihara
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Momoi-Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001120:Arginine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D017241:MELAS Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019344:Lactic Acid; D001120:Arginine; D011239:Prednisolone; D005990:Glycerol