[Symptomatic therapy in a possible animal model for Huntington's chorea]

This is a report on first symptomatic therapy trials of a possible animal model with beta,beta-iminodipropiontrile (IDPN) for Huntington's disease. 1. Experiments to quantitatively measure the choreiform head movements of the rat after IDPN-application were not successful. 2. Of all substances tested, thyroxine was the only one that prevented the choreiform movement disturbances in the rat induced by IDPN. 3. Glucosamine, isonicotinic acid, -hydrazide (isoniazid) and bromocriptine caused a slight retardation of the occurrence of the IDPN-symptoms in the rat for about 1-2 days. 4. Thyroxine does not improve the IDPN-symptoms in the rat. 5. All the other substances tested (mephenytoin, glucosamine, isonicotinic acid-hydrazide, bromocriptine and isonicotinic acid-hydrazide in combination with glucosamine) do temporarily improve the choreiform movement disturbances induced by IDPN. Furthermore during the treatment, these rats were calmer and their landing showed better results. 6. After these first results, the IDPN-model would appear to be a suitable animal model for Huntington's disease in man. With this animal model, new drugs for the symptomatic treatment of this disease can be tested.