scholarly journals SYNTHESIS OF GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID IN THE BRAIN

1973 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
T. Matsuda ◽  
J.Y. Wu ◽  
E. Roberts
2015 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 806-810
Author(s):  
R V Deev ◽  
Yu M Shatrova ◽  
A I Sinitskiy ◽  
N S Molchanova ◽  
A K Yunusova ◽  
...  

Aim. To study the changes in levels of biogenic amines-neurotransmitters in the brain at experimental post-traumatic stress disorder development in rats. Methods. Post-traumatic stress disorder was modeled by keeping 48 outbred male rats in under constant and inescapable strong unconditioned stimulus. The control group included 16 intact animals, not exposed to stress influences. The levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid were determined by fluorometric methods. Behavioral activity of animals was evaluated on the day 3, 7, 10 and 14 by «open field» and «elevated plus maze» actinographs. Results. When comparing the concentrations of studied neurotransmitters in the brain of control animals with experimental groups, reflecting the development of post-traumatic stress disorder at the time, adrenaline and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine levels were increased on the third day, level of norepinephrine was reduced on the seventh day, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, dopamine, norepinephrine levels were elevaled, gamma-aminobutyric acid level was reduced on the tenth day, gamma-aminobutyric acid level was increased on the fourteenth day after the stress. Conclusion. According to the results of the correlation analysis, the largest contribution to the development of behavioral disorders are made by altered brain level of gamma-aminobutyric acid at the time of post-traumatic stress disorder formation (tenth and fourteenth day). At the earlier stages (third and seventh day), the relationship of rats behavioral activity and altered 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and norepinephrine brain levels was shown.


2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniya A. Zyablitseva ◽  
Nikolay S. Kositsyn ◽  
Galina I. Shul'gina

The research described here investigates the role played by inhibitory processes in the discriminations made by the nervous system of humans and animals between familiar and unfamiliar and significant and nonsignificant events. This research compared the effects of two inhibitory mediators of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA): 1) phenibut, a nonselective agonist of ionotropic GABAAand metabotropic GABABreceptors and 2) gaboxadol a selective agonist of ionotropic GABAAreceptors on the process of developing active defensive and inhibitory conditioned reflexes in alert non-immobilized rabbits. It was found that phenibut, but not gaboxadol, accelerates the development of defensive reflexes at an early stage of conditioning. Both phenibut and gaboxadol facilitate the development of conditioned inhibition, but the effect of gaboxadol occurs at later stages of conditioning and is less stable than that of phenibut. The earlier and more stable effects of phenibut, as compared to gaboxadol, on storage in memory of the inhibitory significance of a stimulus may occur because GABABreceptors play the dominant role in the development of internal inhibition during an early stage of conditioning. On the other hand this may occur because the participation of both GABAAand GABABreceptors are essential to the process. We discuss the polyfunctionality of GABA receptors as a function of their structure and the positions of the relevant neurons in the brain as this factor can affect regulation of various types of psychological processes.


Author(s):  
Juncai Pu ◽  
Yiyun Liu ◽  
Siwen Gui ◽  
Lu Tian ◽  
Yue Yu ◽  
...  

AbstractExtensive research has been carried out on the metabolomic changes in animal models of depression; however, there is no general agreement about which metabolites exhibit constant changes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify consistently altered metabolites in large-scale metabolomics studies of depression models. We performed vote counting analyses to identify consistently upregulated or downregulated metabolites in the brain, blood, and urine of animal models of depression based on 3743 differential metabolites from 241 animal metabolomics studies. We found that serotonin, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine, N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid, anandamide, and tryptophan were downregulated in the brain, while kynurenine, myo-inositol, hydroxykynurenine, and the kynurenine to tryptophan ratio were upregulated. Regarding blood metabolites, tryptophan, leucine, tyrosine, valine, trimethylamine N-oxide, proline, oleamide, pyruvic acid, and serotonin were downregulated, while N-acetyl glycoprotein, corticosterone, and glutamine were upregulated. Moreover, citric acid, oxoglutaric acid, proline, tryptophan, creatine, betaine, L-dopa, palmitic acid, and pimelic acid were downregulated, and hippuric acid was upregulated in urine. We also identified consistently altered metabolites in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, serum, and plasma. These findings suggested that metabolomic changes in depression models are characterized by decreased neurotransmitter and increased kynurenine metabolite levels in the brain, decreased amino acid and increased corticosterone levels in blood, and imbalanced energy metabolism and microbial metabolites in urine. This study contributes to existing knowledge of metabolomic changes in depression and revealed that the reproducibility of candidate metabolites was inadequate in previous studies.


1988 ◽  
Vol 251 (2) ◽  
pp. 559-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
P C Caron ◽  
L J Cote ◽  
L T Kremzner

Putrescine is the major source of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the rat adrenal gland. Diamine oxidase, and not monoamine oxidase, is essential for GABA formation from putrescine in the adrenal gland. Aminoguanidine, a diamine oxidase inhibitor, decreases the GABA concentration in the adrenal gland by more than 70% after 4 h, and almost to zero in 24 h. Studies using [14C]putrescine confirm that [14C]GABA is the major metabolite of putrescine in the adrenal gland. Inhibition of GABA transaminase by amino-oxyacetic acid does not change the GABA concentration in the adrenal gland, as compared with the brain, where the GABA concentration rises. With aminoguanidine, the turnover time of GABA originating from putrescine in the adrenal gland is 5.6 h, reflecting a slower rate of GABA metabolism compared with the brain. Since GABA in the adrenal gland is almost exclusively derived from putrescine, the role of GABA may relate to the role of putrescine as a growth factor and regulator of cell metabolism.


Author(s):  
Nivedha Srinivasan ◽  
Anitha Roy

Introduction: Epilepsy is the tendency to have seizures that start in the brain. The brain uses electrical signals to pass messages between brain cells and when these signals are disrupted, it leads to a seizure. A number of synthetic antiepileptic drugs are available in practice, but various medicinal plants act as an important source of treatment for epilepsy; plants such as Aeollanthus suaveolens, Passiflora caerulea, Persea americana, Annona diversifolia, and Boerhavia diffusa have good anticonvulsant activity.Objective: Anticonvulsant drugs are used to control the convulsions by inhibiting the discharge and then producing hypnosis. The objective is to understand various medicinal plants and plant components, which are being used as an anticonvulsant.Results: A. suaveolens essential oils are the main constituents were deemed to display anticonvulsant activity. P. caerulea is reputed to have herbal activity as a sedative and anticonvulsant and it is often used as a relatively disease resistant root stock. Whereas P. americana, extract produces its anticonvulsant effect by enhancing gamma-aminobutyric acid ergic neurotransmission and or action in the brain. B. diffusa consists of a calcium channel antagonist compound, liriodendrin that is responsible for its anticonvulsant activity.Conclusion: Since epilepsy has become a common brain disorder, having knowledge of the medicinal plants with an anticonvulsant activity will be beneficial to the society.Keywords: Antiepileptic, Aeollanthus suaveolens, Passiflora caerulea, Persea americana, Annona diversifolia, Boerhavia diffusa.


1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1194-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Ostrosky-Zeichner ◽  
J L Soto-Hernandez ◽  
V Angeles-Morales ◽  
F Teixeira ◽  
C Nava-Ruiz ◽  
...  

In a murine model of intracerebral infection by Cryptococcus neoformans the therapeutic effects of pentoxifylline or dexamethasone were studied alone and in combination with amphotericin B. Assessed parameters were mean survival time, brain histopathology index, amounts of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain, and yeast CFU per brain. Survival increased significantly in mice treated with dexamethasone, amphotericin B, amphotericin B plus dexamethasone, and amphotericin B plus pentoxifylline; the latter had significantly longer survival than other treated groups. Indices of histopathological damage were similar in all treated groups. In infected untreated mice, the amounts of glutamate in the brain were decreased, presumably by depletion. In mice treated with amphotericin B plus dexamethasone, glutamate levels returned to the range of control mice. No differences in the amounts of gamma-aminobutyric acid were found between control and treatment groups. Brain fungal counts were significantly lower in mice treated with amphotericin B, amphotericin B plus dexamethasone, and amphotericin B plus pentoxifylline than in untreated animals. In this model, pentoxifylline in combination with amphotericin B improved survival, decreasing the fungal burden, and has potential as adjuvant therapy in cerebral cryptococcosis.


1988 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Jarry ◽  
W. Elger ◽  
E. Düker ◽  
W. Wuttke

Abstract. Estrogens exert many effects in a variety of hypothalamic and mesolimbic structures. Whether the actions of the estrogens are direct or indirect, possibly involving anterior pituitary hormones, is largely unknown. We therefore studied catecholamine turnover rates, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate concentrations in various hypothalamic and mesolimbic structures in estrogen-treated hypophysectomized (hypox) rats and compared the measured parameters with those in sham hypophysectomized (sham) animals. Results clearly demonstrate that many of the effects of estrogen require an intact pituitary. Dopamine turnover rates in hypox rats were significantly reduced in the hypothalamus and the striatum, whereas they increased in the medial septum and medial preoptic area in comparison with sham rats. Norepinephrine turnover rates were reduced in the anterior mediobasal hypothalamus, somatosensory cortex and the nucleus accumbens of hypox animals in comparison with the sham-operated animals. In contrast, norepinephrine turnover was accelerated in the mediocortical amygdala and posterior medial basal hypothalamus of hypox rats. A significant reduction of epinephrine turnover was evident in the nucleus accumbens of hypox rats. Gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations increased in the medial septum, anterior and posterior part of the mediobasal hypothalamus, but decreased in the mediocortical amygdala of hypox animals. Concentrations of glutamate were also decreased in the mediocortical amygdala in hypox animals. These results indicate that many direct effects of estrogens in the brain are accompanied by indirect effects which require an intact pituitary. Such effects can best be explained by the estrogen-stimulated high blood prolactin levels, but cannot be ruled out that estrogens act in the brain but require high prolactin levels for their action.


1992 ◽  
Vol 26 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 930-931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy R. Reeves

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of ciprofloxacin-induced psychosis and to discuss occurrence rates, risk factors, possible etiologies, preventive measures, and treatment courses for this adverse reaction. DATA SOURCES: Case reports and review articles identified by MEDLINE. DATA EXTRACTION: Data from pertinent published sources were reviewed and abstracted. DATA SYNTHESIS: A 49-year-old man developed symptoms of severe psychosis concomitant with ciprofloxacin (250 mg bid) treatment. Central nervous system effects secondary to ciprofloxacin treatment are uncommon and usually consist only of minor dizziness or mild headache, although rare occurrences of seizures and hallucinations have been reported. The mechanism by which ciprofloxacin causes these adverse effects is not fully understood. It has been suggested that quinolones may produce an epileptogenic effect by inhibiting the binding of gamma-aminobutyric acid to its receptor sites in the brain. There is yet no explanation for the occurrence of hallucinations or psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: Caution should be exercised when using ciprofloxacin in the treatment of patients with personality abnormalities or symptoms of psychosis.


1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (8) ◽  
pp. 1701-1710 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Ocker ◽  
B Hedwig ◽  
N Elsner

The influence of neurotransmitters and neuroactive substances on stridulatory behaviour was analysed in two species of acridid grasshoppers (Omocestus viridulus and Chorthippus mollis). Acetylcholine, octopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate were applied by pressure injection (0.5­1.0 nl, 10(-3) mol l-1) into the protocerebrum. All except octopamine were also applied to the metathoracic ganglion by pressure injection or superfusion (1 ml). Injection of acetylcholine into the medial dorsal neuropile of the protocerebrum elicited continuous long-lasting species-specific stridulation in both acridid species. All other substances tested had no effect when injected into the brain. Injection of acetylcholine into the medial dorsal neuropile of the metathoracic ganglion enhanced the amplitude of the stridulatory leg movements elicited by electrical brain stimulation. It did not alter the repetition rate or coordination of the movements in O. viridulus; but it decreased the length of stridulatory cycles in C. mollis. Injection of gamma-aminobutyric acid into the medial dorsal metathoracic neuropile in both species suppressed the stridulatory leg movements ipsilateral to the injection site but did not alter those on the contralateral side. Superfusion of the metathoracic ganglion with gamma-aminobutyric acid suppressed the movements of both hindlegs. Pressure injection of glutamate into the metathoracic ganglion had no effect on the stridulatory leg movements, but superfusion enhanced the stridulatory movements.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document