Mitochondrial diseases.

Prevalence of mitochondrial diseases equals 1:10,000 of life-born infants. Mutations of mitochondrial DNA are their most frequent cause. The study presents short description of some of these diseases.

[Excretion of vanillic acid and homovanillic acid and tissue distribution of catecholamines and their metabolites in mice with various levels of pigmentation].

Studies concerning metabolism of catecholamines in mice differing with respect to the degree of pigmentation were based on determination of daily excretion of vanillylmandelic and homovanillic acid and tissue content of epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine and their methoxy derivatives. It was found that pigmented mice excrete more homovanillic acid, the metabolite of dopamine, than do albinotic mice. Tissue studies have shown that the brain of albinotic mice contains more dopamine and kidneys more epinephrine, norepinephrine and their methoxy derivatives than the respective organs of the pigmented mice.