Ascorbate treatment attenuates the Huntington behavioral phenotype in mice
GV Rebec, SJ Barton, AM Marseilles, K Collins - Neuroreport, 2003 - journals.lww.com
The R6/2 mouse line expresses exon 1 of the human gene for Huntington disease (HD) and
shows behavioral symptoms as early as 6 weeks of age. In the striatum, a forebrain target of
HD, these animals show a behavior-related deficit in extracellular ascorbate, the
deprotonated form of vitamin C. We report here that this deficit may contribute to the HD
behavioral phenotype. Regular injections of ascorbate (300 mg/kg/day, 4 days/week)
beginning at symptom onset restored the behavior-related release of ascorbate in striatum …
shows behavioral symptoms as early as 6 weeks of age. In the striatum, a forebrain target of
HD, these animals show a behavior-related deficit in extracellular ascorbate, the
deprotonated form of vitamin C. We report here that this deficit may contribute to the HD
behavioral phenotype. Regular injections of ascorbate (300 mg/kg/day, 4 days/week)
beginning at symptom onset restored the behavior-related release of ascorbate in striatum …