期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1999
卷号：96
期号：11
页码：6423-6427
DOI：10.1073/pnas.96.11.6423
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Fabry disease is an X-linked metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of -galactosidase A (-Gal A). The enzyme defect leads to the systemic accumulation of glycosphingolipids with -galactosyl moieties consisting predominantly of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). In patients with this disorder, glycolipid deposition in endothelial cells leads to renal failure and cardiac and cerebrovascular disease. Recently, we generated -Gal A gene knockout mouse lines and described the phenotype of 10-week-old mice. In the present study, we characterize the progression of the disease with aging and explore the effects of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on the phenotype. Histopathological analysis of -Gal A -/0 mice revealed subclinical lesions in the Kupffer cells in the liver and macrophages in the skin with no gross lesions in the endothelial cells. Gb3 accumulation and pathological lesions in the affected organs increased with age. Treatment with BMT from the wild-type mice resulted in the clearance of accumulated Gb3 in the liver, spleen, and heart with concomitant elevation of -Gal A activity. These findings suggest that BMT may have a potential role in the management of patients with Fabry disease.
