Replication of the neurochemical characteristics of Huntington's disease by quinolinic acid

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurological disorder characterized by progressive chorea, cognitive impairment and emotional disturbance1. The disease usually occurs in midlife and symptoms progress inexorably to mental and physical incapacitation. It has been postulated that an excitotoxin is involved in the pathogenesis of HD2,3. Schwarcz and colleagues have shown that quinolinic acid (QA) can produce axon-sparing lesions …