gamma-Aminobutyric acid in subcellular fractions of mouse brain and its relation to convulsions

Magnesium valproate attenuates hyperactivity induced by dexamphetamine-chlordiazepoxide mixture in rodents

A mixture of dexamphetamine and chlordiazepoxide induces hyperactivity in both mice and rats. This type of hyperactivity has been proposed as an animal model of mania. Magnesium valproate itself had little influence on the activity of normal mice and rats. Acute pretreatment of mice with magnesium valproate (75-300 mg/kg p.o., 37.5-150 mg/kg i.v.) attenuated the mixture-induced hyperactivity. Pretreatment of rats with a single dose of magnesium valproate (75-300 mg/kg, p.o. or i.p.) also counteracted the locomotor hyperactivity caused by the mixture. The effects of magnesium valproate in the mixture-treated mice and rats could be abolished by bicuculline and picrotoxin, but not isoniazid. These findings suggest that the antimanic effect of valproate may be related to its ability to enhance the postsynaptic effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

gamma-Aminobutyric acid and gastric acid secretion: a physiologic role?

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of endogenous brain GABA levels or GABAergic tone on gastric acid secretion. Experiments were performed with Sprague-Dawley rats under urethane anesthesia. Continuous acid secretion was measured in vivo using a gastric luminal perfusion system. Initial experiments studied the effects on basal acid secretion of (aminooxy)acetic acid (AOAA), a substance which increases brain GABA levels, and flumazenil, a substance which decreases central GABAergic neurotransmission. After basal acid secretion was measured for 30 min, AOAA (15 mg/kg), flumazenil (10 mg/kg), or saline was given by intravenous infusion and acid secretion was measured for 120 min. There was no significant difference in acid secretion between groups (n = 8/group). A second series of experiments measured the effects of AOAA, flumazenil, or saline on gastric secretion during submaximal stimulation by bethanechol (180 micrograms/kg/hr) in normal and vagotomized rats. Total acid secretions (mean +/- SE) after saline, AOAA, or flumazenil were 78.7 +/- 11.8, 51.0 +/- 5.9, and 109.3 +/- 1.5 mumole/90 min, respectively (P less than 0.01). In vagotomized rats, there were no significant differences in rates of acid secretion between groups. In summary, GABAergic tone did not effect basal acid secretion in anesthetized rats. However, during submaximal acid secretion, acid secretion decreased when brain GABA levels increased, and acid secretion increased when GABAergic neurotransmission was inhibited. We conclude that endogenous brain GABA levels may effect gastric acid secretion in rats, perhaps via inhibition of central-vagal tone.

Alterations in synaptosomal neurotransmitter amino acids in "petit-mal" rats at a daytime and a nighttime

The synaptosomal fractions of 6 brain areas-olfactory tubercles (OT), frontal cortex (FC), striatum (Sr), amygdala (A), thalamus (Th), hypothalamus (Hy) - have been analyzed for their neurotransmitter amino acids (AA) content in Wistar rats exhibiting "petit-mal" epilepsy (PM-E) and in controls (C). The analysis was carried out at 11 p.m. (nighttime corresponding to the acrophase for the hourly number of spike-wave complexes) and at 11 a.m. (daytime). A day versus night rhythmicity is recorded for synaptosomal inhibitory AA in control and in PM-E rats. However, day versus night variations are more frequent and more prominent in C rats than in PM-E rats. Two day versus night variations exist only in PM-E rats: increases of GABA level in Sr and of Asp in Hy. Differences between PME-and C in synaptosomal AA content are more likely to be present during the nighttime. During this period lower AA values for PM-E rats are found for one or several inhibitory AA in OT, Th, and FC. It seems that the differences between PM-E and C concerning the inhibitory AA correlate with the number of spike-wave discharges. Only in one brain area is there a similar difference for PM-E and C during daytime and nighttime: a decreased GABA content for PM-E rats in OT. The decrease is larger in nighttime than in daytime. This difference may serve as a marker for this epileptic disorder. Moreover, it is in OT that the greatest number of PM-E versus C differences in synaptosomal neurotransmitter AA are observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Improved method for isolating synaptosomes from 11 regions of one rat brain: electron microscopic and biochemical characterization and use in the study of drug effects on nerve terminal gamma-aminobutyric acid in vivo

A procedure is described for the rapid preparation of nerve ending particles (synaptosomes) from 11 regions of one rat brain. The synaptosomal fractions have been characterized by electron microscopy and determination of four marker enzymes, i.e., glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), acetylcholinesterase, succinate dehydrogenase, and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Comparison with a much lengthier standard (Ficoll-sucrose) preparation showed that the synaptosomal yield of the new procedure was substantially better as judged by both morphological evaluation and protein recovery. The improved synaptosome preparation was used for determination of regional gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in synaptosomal fractions. The postmortem increase in GABA level during removal and dissection of brain tissue and homogenization and fractionation procedures could be minimized by rapid processing of the tissue at low temperatures and inclusion of the GAD inhibitor 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MP; 1 mM) in the homogenizing medium. The addition of GABA (0.2 mM) to the homogenizing medium did not alter the GABA levels in the synaptosomes, indicating that no significant redistribution of GABA occurred during subcellular fractionation in sodium-free media. Synaptosomal GABA levels determined in the 11 rat brain areas showed the same regional distribution as the GABA-synthesizing enzyme GAD. On the basis of these findings, it was suggested that the synaptosome preparation could be used to evaluate the in vivo effects of drugs on nerve terminal GABA. Treatment of rats with a convulsant dose of 3-MP (50 mg/kg i.p.) 3 min before decapitation significantly lowered synaptosomal GABA levels in olfactory bulb, hippocampus, thalamus, tectum, and cerebellum. The 3-MP-induced seizures and reduction of GABA levels could be prevented by administration of valproic acid (200 mg/kg i.p.) 15 min before the 3-MP injection. The data indicate that the improved synaptosome preparation offers a convenient method of preparing highly purified synaptosomes from a large number of small tissue samples and can provide useful information on the in vivo effects of drugs on regional GABA levels in nerve terminals.

Methionine-induced changes in glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, and gamma-aminobutyrate levels in brain tissue

Intramuscular administration of methionine to mice resulted in changes in the levels of aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, and gamma-aminobutyrate in both nerve endings (synaptosomes) and "non-nerve-ending" tissue in the brain. However, the amino acid changes in the two locations differed considerably, not only in the time to onset of the changes, but also in the direction of the changes and in their duration. The results provide additional support for a glutamate-glutamine cycle between neurons and glia, and suggest that the decreases in amino acid levels in the nerve endings are due to an insufficient supply of glutamine from glia or other cellular structures, possibly compounded by an impairment in the uptake of glutamine into the nerve terminals. The primary cause of the glutamine deficiency is unknown because methionine did not affect the enzymes of glutamate and glutamine metabolism. Treatment of mice with methionine also resulted in an anticonvulsant action, but no correlation was observed between the latter phenomenon and the glutamate content of nerve endings.

In vivo effects of aminooxyacetic acid and valproic acid on nerve terminal (synaptosomal) GABA levels in discrete brain areas of the rat. Correlation to pharmacological activities

A newly developed synaptosomal model was used to evaluate the in vivo effects of the GABA-elevating drugs aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA, 30 mg/kg i.p.) and valproic acid (VPA, 200 mg/kg i.p.) on GABA levels in nerve endings of 11 brain regions in rats as a function of time after administration. The data obtained were compared with the magnitude and time course of the effects of both drugs in rats on body temperature, pain response and against seizures induced by electroshock, pentylenetetrazol and 3-mercaptopropionic acid. Following AOAA, maximum increases in synaptosomal GABA levels of brain regions were observed 6 hr after administration. At this time, GABA was significantly elevated up to 300% over control values in synaptosomal fractions from all 11 regions. However, the hypothermic and antinociceptive effects of the drug as well as its anticonvulsant action against electroshock and pentylenetetrazol induced seizures were maximal 1 hr after injection and had vanished after 6 hr, i.e. at the time of maximum GABA increases in synaptosomes. The only pharmacological effect of AOAA which paralleled the time course of the synaptosomal GABA elevation was the attenuation of seizures induced by 3-mercaptopropionic acid. Following VPA, the effect on synaptosomal GABA levels was much more rapid in onset and significant increases were already determined 5 to 30 min after administration. Significant increases of up to 80% over control values were found in synaptosomal fractions from olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, tectum, substantia nigra and cerebellum. In contrast to AOAA, the time course of the synaptosomal GABA increases, at least in some regions, was similar to the time course of VPA's antinociceptice effects and its anticonvulsant effects in the three seizure models studied. The data may suggest that AOAA and VPA increase different pools of GABA within nerve terminals, only one of which is involved in GABA-mediated neurotransmission.

On the existence of two GABA pools associated with newly synthesized GABA and with newly taken up GABA in nerve terminals

[14C]Glutamic acid and [3H]GABA were injected into the lateral ventricle of mouse and then [14C]GABA and [3H]GABA in synaptosomes isolated from the animals were analysed. The [14C]GABA was interpreted to be newly synthesized GABA from [14C]glutamic acid while the [3H]GABA to be newly taken up GABA. We have obtained the following results: (1) when the animals were pretreated with aminooxyacetic acid and thus the GABA content in synaptosomes increased to about 2 times of the control level, only the [3H]GABA was enhanced to 3 times of the control level without any change of [14C]GABA, (2) the release of [14C]GABA from synaptosomes by high K+ depolarization was 1.5 times greater than that of [3H]GABA, (3) the releases of both [14C]GABA and [3H]GABA were increased in the presence of cold GABA, L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid or gamma-amino-beta-hydroxybutyric acid, but only slightly increased in the presence of beta-alanine. These results would suggest that newly synthesized GABA and newly taken up GABA localized individually in different pools, which might localize either in different nerve terminals or separately in the same nerve terminal.

Aminooxyacetic acid induced accumulation of GABA in the rat brain. Interaction with GABA receptors and distribution in compartments

The effect of aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA, 90 mg/kg i.v.) on bicuculline, picrotoxin and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) induced convulsions and on GABA concentrations in cerebellum, whole brain and a synaptosomal fraction of whole brain was investigated. At various intervals after AOAA the rats were either injected with one of the convulsive drugs or sacrificed for analysis of the GABA concentration. AOAA caused a rapid initial (0-30 min) and a later slower increase of GABA in cerebellum and whole brain. In the synaptosomal fraction the GABA accumulation was delayed and less pronounced when compared to the whole brain. The bicuculline induced convulsions were markedly potentiated during the first hour but completely blocked from 2-6 h after AOAA. Picrotoxin showed a somewhat different pattern to bicuculline in the interactions with AOAA. The initial strong potentiation was not observed but the later phase of protection was present. In the interactions with 3-MPA, the effect of AOAA was always protective. The time to onset of convulsions was gradually increased during the first 30 min after AOAA. This protective effect remained practically unchanged up to 6 h after AOAA. However, once started, the convulsions were generally of the same duration and intensity. The results can be interpreted as GABA accumulating after AOAA stimulates GABA receptors to a degree more or less proportional to the whole brain GABA concentration and further that GABA synthetized in neurons is liberated, stimulates inhibitory bicuculline sensitive (predominant) and excitatory bicuculline insensitive receptors and is captured to a large extent by non-neuronal cells.

Relationship between drug-induced changes in seizure thresholds and the GABA content of brain and brain nerve endings

The intraperitoneal administration of gabaculine, aminooxyacetic acid (s.c.), gamma-acetylenic GABA, gamma-vinyl GABA, ethanolamine-O-sulphate, sodium valproate and GABA caused significant increases in the GABA content of both the whole brain and brain nerve endings (synaptosomes) in mice, a linear relationship being observed between the two parameters. When the relative effects on GABA concentrations were compared with the potency of the different drugs to elevate the thresholds for electroconvulsions and clonic pentetrazole seizures, only the increase in the pentetrazole seizure threshold was significantly correlated with the elevation of brain and synaptosomal GABA content. The present results indicate that the threshold for pentetrazole seizures is an appropriate test-system to study the relationship between alterations of overall GABA levels in the brain and nerve terminals and anticonvulsant activity of GABA-elevating agents.