A high-fat diet decreases GABA concentration in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of rats

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a key role in the regulation of food intake and body weight by controlling the excitability, plasticity and the synchronization of neuronal activity in the frontal cortex (FC). It has been also proposed that the high-fat diet (HFD) could disturb the metabolism of glutamate and consequently the GABA levels, but the mechanism is not yet clearly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a HFD on the GABA levels in the FC and hippocampus of rats. RESULTS: The HFD significantly increased weight gain and blood glucose levels, whereas decreased the GABA levels in the FC and hippocampus compared with standard diet-fed rats. CONCLUSIONS: HFD decreases GABA levels in the FC and hippocampus of rat, which likely disrupts the GABAergic inhibitory processes, underlying feeding behavior.

Puerarin protects against damage to spatial learning and memory ability in mice with chronic alcohol poisoning

We evaluated the effect of puerarin on spatial learning and memory ability of mice with chronic alcohol poisoning. A total of 30 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into model, puerarin, and control groups (n=10 each). The model group received 60% (v/v) ethanol by intragastric administration followed by intraperitoneal injection of normal saline 30 min later. The puerarin group received intragastric 60% ethanol followed by intraperitoneal puerarin 30 min later, and the control group received intragastric saline followed by intraperitoneal saline. Six weeks after treatment, the Morris water maze and Tru Scan behavioral tests and immunofluorescence staining of cerebral cortex and hippocampal neurons (by Neu-N) and microglia (by Ib1) were conducted. Glutamic acid (Glu) and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) in the cortex and hippocampus were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were determined by ELISA. Compared with mice in the control group, escape latency and distance were prolonged, and spontaneous movement distance was shortened (P<0.05) by puerarin. The number of microglia was increased in both the cortex and hippocampal dentate gyrus (P<0.01), and neurons were reduced only in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (P<0.01) in puerarin-treated mice. In the model group, Glu and GABA levels decreased (P<0.05), and Glu/GABA, TNF-α, and IL-1β increased (P<0.01) with puerarin treatment, returning to near normal levels. In conclusion, puerarin protected against the effects of chronic alcohol poisoning on spatial learning and memory ability primarily because of anti-inflammatory activity and regulation of the balance of Glu and GABA.

Modeling of glutamic acid production by Lactobacillus plantarum MNZ

Background: L-glutamic acid, the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and an important intermediate in metabolism acts as a precursor of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA). In the present study, culture condition for enhanced glutamic acid production by Lactobacillus plantarum MNZ was optimized and the influence of such conditions on GABA production was evaluated. Results: Results indicated that glutamic acid increased up to 3-fold (3.35) under the following condition: pH 4.5, temperature 37ºC, 12% (w/v) glucose and 0.7% (w/v) ammonium nitrate; whilst GABA production was enhanced up to 10-fold under the following condition: pH 4.5, temperature 37ºC, 6% (w/v) glucose and 0.7% (w/v) ammonium nitrate. Conclusions: This is the first report for dual biosynthesizing activities of a lactic acid bacterium for the production of glutamic acid and GABA. The results of this study can be further used for developing functional foods rich inglutamic acid and subsequently GABA as a bioactive compound.

Production of gaba (γ - aminobutyric acid) by microorganisms: a review

GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) is a four carbon non-protein amino acid that is widely distributed in plants, animals and microorganisms. As a metabolic product of plants and microorganisms produced by the decarboxylation of glutamic acid, GABA functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that directly affects the personality and the stress management. A wide range of traditional foods produced by microbial fermentation contain GABA, in which GABA is safe and eco-friendly, and also has the possibility of providing new health-benefited products enriched with GABA. Synthesis of GABA is catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase, therefore, the optimal fermentation condition is mainly based on the biochemical properties of the enzyme. Major GABA producing microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which make food spoilage pathogens unable to grow and act as probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract. The major factors affecting the production of GABA by microbial fermentation are temperature, pH, fermentation time and different media additives, therefore, these factors are summarized to provide the most up-dated information for effective GABA synthesis. There has been a huge accumulation of knowledge on GABA application for human health accompanying with a demand on natural GABA supply. Only the GABA production by microorganisms can fulfill the demand with GABA-enriched health beneficial foods.

Distribution of GABA in the golden hamster retina: An immunocytochemical study

Distribution of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA was studied in the golden hamster retina using immunocytochemistry at cellular and subcellular levels. GABA-immunoreactivity was observed in somata of amacrine, displaced amacrine and horizontal cells. GABA immunoreactive fibers were abundant in the inner plexiform layer. Ultrastructural analysis exhibited dense GABA-immunoreactive deposits in amacrine cell somata, processes and terminals. Immunolabelling was also observed in the cytoplasm of horizontal or interplexiform cells and displaced amacrine cells. In every case DAB deposits were observed in the cytosolic compartment, attached to the inner surface of cell membranes and to outer mitochondrial membranes. Immunolabeled terminals predominated in the inner plexiform layer and immunoprecipitates were also observed attached to the outer face of vesicle membranes as well as completely filling synaptic vesicles. Both clear and dense core vesicles were observed. The present results are similar to those obtained in other mammalian species showing GABA immunoreactivity in amacrine, displaced amacrine and horizontal cells

Fijación de H3-GABA por el cerebelo de ratas infectadas con el virus de la encefalitis venezolana / (3H)-GABA binding by the cerebellum of rats infected with the venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus

La infección por el virus de la Encefalitis Venezolana produjo un aumento significativo en el número de sitios de fijación del H3-GABA en el cerebelo. La infección también causó una disminución en la afinidad de estos receptores por GABA

Sondas de perfusión intracerebral in vivo: un nuevo diseño y su evaluación / In vivo intracerebral perfusion catheters: a new desing and its evaluation

A pesar del desarrollo reciente de técnica biofísicas para dar imágenes de las funciones del cerebro en el animal integro (v.g. tomografía de emisión de positrones, resonancia magnética nuclear), las sondas de perfusión intracerebral son aún el único medio directo de estudio de los fenómenos neuroquímicos in vivo. Sin embargo, estos instrumentos tradicionales de perfusión, por su naturaleza invasiva y la lesión que producen, reclaman nuevos diseños y mejorias. Hemos rediseñado la sonda clásica de perfusión -cánula concéntrica de infusión y extracción- modificando la geometría de su punta: La cánula de infusión se retrajo hacia adentro de la cánula externa (de extracción) para evitar que hiciera contacto directo con el tejido y lo erosinara; además, para aumentar la interfase de difusión entre el tejido y el líquido de perfusión, se perforaron ranuras en el cuerpo de la cánula externa. Esta sonda ranurada elimina prácticamente las lesiones accidentales por obstrucciones al flujo y los sangrados durante la perfusión, pero conserva la misma eficiencia de difusión que se obtiene con las sondas tradicionales. La sonda que hemos construido es de geometría idéntica a la nueva generación de sondas de diálisis intracerebral y comparte muchas de sus ventajas en cuanto a la protección del tejido. Añ carecer de la barrera que establece una membrana de diálisis, permite el libre acceso al tejido cerebral. Estas sondas de perfusión, más seguras y eficientes, pudieran ser aplicadas en la clínica a corto plazo

Thin-layer chromatographic method for estimation of gamma-aminobutyric acid from brain.

The present method describes the estimation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from adult rat brain by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The major advantage of this TLC method is the sensitivity and repidity of estimation. About 93 to 98 percent recovery is possible by this procedure and this shows linearity up to 9 micrograms. Replicate analysis of GABA by this method shows a co-efficient variation of 1.31%

Effects of tranquillising, antidepressant and central nervous system stimulant drugs on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level of rat brain.

The level of y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was determined in the brain of rats 1 hr. after i.p. injection of chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, diazepam, trimipramine, methamphetamine and nikethamide. Diazepam increased, and, trimipramine and amphetamine decreased the brain GABA level over wide dose ranges. Low doses of chlorpromazine and prochlorperazine increased but high doses of the drugs reduced the GABA level. Low doses of nikethamide reduced whereas high doses increased the level of GABA. The effects of the drugs have been discussed in relation to the brain GABA level.