Cultured fibroblasts in Huntington's disease. II. Effects of glucosamine

It has been proposed that there is a generalized membrane defect in Huntington's disease (HD) that is expressed in non-neuronal tissue. This membrane abnormality has been linked to a glucosamine dependence of HD cells that can be demonstrated in cultured skin fibroblasts. Twenty HD, "at-risk," and normal cell lines were used in studies of growth, viability, and adhesion in Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium with dialyzed serum or serum separated by a fractionating column (Sephadex G50). The effects of the supplementation of these media with serine, glutamine, glucosamine, and N-acetylglucosamine (0.1mM) on cell growth were determined. The growth of cells in the presence of glucosamine (0mM to 2mM) and N-acetylglucosamine (1mM) was monitored. The HD cells grew slightly better than normal or at-risk cells in the depleted media and attached to the culture surface better. However, the glucosamine dependence of HD cells was not demonstrated.