Modifications of the nucleic acid backbone are essential for the development of oligonucleotide-derived bioactive agents. The NAA-modification represents a novel artificial internucleotide linkage which enables the site-specific introduction of positive charges into the otherwise polyanionic backbone of DNA oligonucleotides. Following initial studies with the introduction of the NAA-linkage at ...

The amino-acid N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) is located in neurons and the concentration of NAA correlates with neuronal mitochondrial function. The signal of NAA, as measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), is considered to reflect both, neuronal density and integrity of neuronal mitochondria. A reduction of the NAA concentrations has been found in several psychiatric disorder...

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is one of the most prevalent compounds in the mammalian nervous system. As such, NAA largely contributes to the major peak on water-suppressed proton magnetic resonance spectra. Highly specific antibodies to NAA demonstrate that this compound is discretely localized in a substantial number of neurons throughout the extent of the rat CNS. N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) ...

OBJECTIVE There is increasing evidence that altered glutamate (Glu) homeostasis is involved in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo effects of excess brain Glu on neuroaxonal integrity measured by N-acetylaspartate (NAA), brain volume, and clinical outcomes in a large, prospectively followed cohort of MS subjects. METHODS We used mu...

The brain is unique among organs in many respects, including its mechanisms of lipid synthesis and energy production. The nervous system-specific metabolite N-acetylaspartate (NAA), which is synthesized from aspartate and acetyl-coenzyme A in neurons, appears to be a key link in these distinct biochemical features of CNS metabolism. During early postnatal central nervous system (CNS) developmen...

AIM To characterize progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS). METHODS Eleven subjects with mild to moderate AD underwent neurocognitive testing and single-voxel (1)H MRS from the precuneus and posterior cingulate region at baseline, after 24 weeks of monotherapy with a cholinesterase inhibitor, and after another 24 weeks of combination th...

OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to examine N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a general marker of neuronal viability, and total NAA (tNAA), the combined signal of NAA and N-acetylaspartylglutamate, in bipolar depression before and after lamotrigine treatment. Given that NAA is synthesized through direct acetylation of aspartate by acetyl-coenzyme A-l-aspartate-N-acetyltransferase, we hypothes...

Aerobic exercise is a promising form of prevention for cognitive decline; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which exercise and fitness impacts the human brain. Several studies have postulated that increased regional brain volume and function are associated with aerobic fitness because of increased vascularization rather than increased neural tissue per se. We tested thi...

OBJECTIVES Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a reversible cause of heart failure rarely described in African-American patients. This study aimed to compare and contrast the clinical characteristics of TTS in African-American (AA) and non-African-American (NAA) patients. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the charts of eight patients (four AA and four NAA) diagnosed with TTS, between June 2006 and ...