Effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid on 33Pi incorporation into rat brain phospholipids in vivo

Action of aspartate on the 32Pi incorporation into phospholipids of cerebral cortex

The effect of L-aspartate on the 32Pi incorporation of phospholipids, was studied on slices of rat cerebral cortex. This amino acid produced an inhibitory effect in concentrations 0.01-10 mM, which was more evident at 120 min. This effect was not stereospecific and did not imply a change in Pi uptake and in nucleotides approximately P precursors. The inhibition was present in PS, PC, PE and to a lesser extent in PI. On liver slices 1 mM L-aspartate had the opposite effect, stimulating the incorporation of 32Pi into total phospholipids. Our results suggest that the effect of L-aspartate is by a non-specific mechanism, probably not mediated by a receptor.

Vertebrate GABA receptors

Physiologic-pharmacologic studies in vivo and with tissue cultures have revealed that synaptic GABA receptors exist in the vertebrate CNS. The GABA antagonist, bicuculline, can be used to detect synaptic GABA receptors in both the presence and absence of Na+, even though GABA binding to cerebral subcellular fractions occurs mainly to transport (uptake) receptors in the presence of Na+.