title: Tryptophan is a marker of human postmortem brain tissue quality.
abstract: Postmortem human brain tissue is widely used in neuroscience research, but use of tissue originating from different brain bank centers is considered inaccurate because of possible heterogeneity in sample quality. There is thus a need for well-characterized markers to assess the quality of postmortem brain tissue. Toward this aim, we determined tryptophan (TRP) concentrations, phosphofructokinase-1 and glutamate decarboxylase activities in 119 brain tissue samples. These neurochemical parameters were tested in samples from autopsied individuals, including control and pathological cases provided by 10 different brain bank centers. Parameters were assessed for correlation with agonal state, postmortem interval, age and gender, brain region, preservation and freezing methods, storage conditions and storage time, RNA integrity, and tissue pH value. TRP concentrations were elevated significantly (p = 0.045) with increased postmortem interval; which might indicate increased protein degradation. Therefore, TRP concentration might be one useful and convenient marker for estimating the quality of human postmortem brain tissue.
authors: Clinical Neurochemistry, National Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence Research Laboratory, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstr. 15, Würzburg D-97080, Germany. Gruenblatt_E@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors: Edna
authors: E
authors: Grünblatt
authors: Camelia Maria
authors: CM
authors: Monoranu
authors: Manuela
authors: M
authors: Apfelbacher
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Keller
authors: Tanja M
authors: TM
authors: Michel
authors: Irina
authors: I
authors: Alafuzoff
authors: Isidro
authors: I
authors: Ferrer
authors: Safa
authors: S
authors: Al-Saraj
authors: Kathy
authors: K
authors: Keyvani
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Schmitt
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Falkai
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Schittenhelm
authors: Catriona
authors: C
authors: McLean
authors: Glenda M
authors: GM
authors: Halliday
authors: Clive
authors: C
authors: Harper
authors: Jürgen
authors: J
authors: Deckert
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Roggendorf
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Riederer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013997:Time Factors; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014364:Tryptophan