Cerebral amino acid levels and uptake in rats after portocaval anastomosis : I. Regional studies in vitro

✍ Scribed by Giorgio Zanchin; Paolo Rigotti; Fulvio Bettineschi; Paolo Vassanelli; Leontino Battistin

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 532 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-4012
• DOI: 10.1002/jnr.490040406

✦ Synopsis

Uptake of various amino acids was studied in slices from brain regions of rats four weeks after portocaval anastomosis.

No differences of the inulin compartment were observed between control and experimental animals.

After 60-minutes incubation, uptake showed a n overall pattcrn of diminution. This was more evident for some amino acids: valine, methionine, and lysine exhibited a lowering of about 3076, which was fairly uniform in the four tested regions: others showed a regional decrease ~ alanine in pons-medulla, phenylalanine in cerebellum, histidine and GABA in mesodiencephalon. entry of amino acids into brain cells in portocaval enccphalopathy is somewhat difficult t o explain; a decreased rate of protein synthesis may be of some importance, but other factors, such as a "carrier" impairment, effects on release and o n amino acid metabolism, may also be involved.