Huntington's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Huntington's Disease, including details on genetics, causes, symptoms, treatment.

Citicoline is not protective in experimental models of Huntington's disease.

Mievis S, Levivier M, Vassart G, Brotchi J, Ledent C, Blum D

IRIBHM, University of Brussels, ULB-Erasme, Brussels, Belgium.

We have evaluated the neuroprotective effects of citicoline in relevant phenotypic models of Huntington's disease induced by either the mitochondrial inhibitor 3-nitropropionic acid or the N-methyl-D-aspartate agonist quinolinic acid, which, respectively, reproduce the metabolic defect or the excitotoxicity seen in the disease. We found that citicoline failed to reverse behavioural and histological alterations induced by both neurotoxins. In addition, citicoline did not reduce PC12 cell death induced by the expression of an N-terminal fragment of mutated Huntingtin. Altogether, our results suggest that citicoline is not a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of Huntington's disease.

Published 23 October 2007 in Neurobiol Aging, 28(12): 1944-6.
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