POLYAMINES IN FRONTAL-CORTEX OF PATIENTS WITH DOWN-SYNDROME AND ALZHEIMER-DISEASE

Polyamines may play an important role in brain development, mature bra in function and also in neurodegenerative conditions, We investigated polyamine levels in frontal cortex of human post-mortem brain samples of elderly patients with Down syndrome (DS), Alzheimer disease (AD) an d normal controls by means of chromatographic separation after dansyla tion, Spermidine and spermine concentrations were markedly decreased i n DS and AD. Polyamine levels were neither related to age and post-mor tem interval nor to choline acetyltransferase activity, as indicator o f neuronal loss, Our results support the idea that besides other neuro transmitter systems, endogenous polyamine levels are altered in dement ing illnesses such as Alzheimer disease and Down syndrome.