Individuals at-risk for Huntington disease (HD), both HD gene carriers and nongene carriers, were recruited to determine whether psychological changes are detectable among clinically presymptomatic individuals who carry the HD allele. Each participant underwent genotyping to determine HD gene carrier status and a clinical assessment that included a quantified neurological examination and an abbreviated Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): the Hypochondriasis, Depression, Psychasthenia, Neuroticism, Cynical Hostility, and Irritability Scales and the Harris Subscales of Depression. The results of the MMPI were evaluated for differences between nongene carriers (NGC) (n = 363), presymptomatic gene carriers (PSGC) (n = 149), and those with manifest HD (MHD) (n = 26). The overall multiple analysis of variance was not significant, indicating that there was no overall difference among the three groups. However, when subscales of the MMPI were examined individually, participants with manifest HD scored higher on the Psychasthenia scale (MHD vs. PSGC, P = 0.005; MHD vs. NGC, P = 0.03) and the Harris Depression subscale, Brooding (MHD vs. PSGC, P=0.0005; MHD vs. NGC, P = 0.003). No significant correlation was found between the number of trinucleotide repeats on the disease-producing allele and any of the MMPI scales for the gene carriers, MHD or PSGC. These results verify the presence of psychological symptoms in the early phases of MHD but not in PSGC. Thus, further study of the behavioral and mood symptoms thought to accompany HD using measures designed specifically to detect depressive symptoms and changes in behavior specific to HD is warranted to delineate the timing of onset of the psychological symptoms.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in the enzyme levels of mouse organs after leukemogenic doses of x-ray and treatment with radiation leukemia protection factor.

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Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Metabolism of phenytoin in teratogenesis-susceptible and -resistant strains of mice.

Phenytoin (PHT) is teratogenic in A/J but not in C57BL/6J mice. Teratogenesis in F1 hybrid offspring of these two strains is dependent on the susceptibility of the maternal parent. Hepatic microsomes from untreated pregnant A/J females produced more of both the phenolic and diol metabolites than did microsomes from pregnant C57BL/6J females. This difference disappeared when the animals were pretreated with phenobarbital or phenytoin. It seems unlikely that the genetic difference in susceptibility to PHT-induced teratogenesis can be explained on the basis of maternal metabolism of the drug.

Animals↗