Lipoic acid improves survival in transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease

There is substantial evidence implicating excitotoxicity and oxidative dama ge in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). We therefore examined whether the antioxidants 2-sulpho-tert-phenylbutyinitrone (S-PBN) and alpha -lipoic acid could exert neuroprotective effects in transgenic mouse model s of HD. S-PBN showed no effects on either weight loss or survival in the R 6/2 transgenic HD mice. alpha -Lipoic acid produced significant increases i n survival in both R6/2 and N171-82Q transgenic mouse models of HD. These f indings suggest that alpha -lipoic acid might have beneficial effects in HD patients. NeuroReport 12:3371-3373 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.