Neurochemical Research

, Volume 11, Issue 11, pp 1487–1496 | Cite as

Effect ofl-homocysteine and derivatives on the high-affinity uptake of taurine and GABA into synaptosomes and cultured neurons and astrocytes

  • Ian C. Allen
  • Arne Schousboe
  • Roger Griffiths
Original Articles
Accepted:

Abstract

The effect ofl-nomocysteine and selected derivatives on the high-affinity uptake of the inhibitory neuroeffectors, GABA and taurine, was investigated in synaptosomes, and in cultured neurons and astrocytes. High-affinity uptake of taurine into synaptosomes was inhibited most effectively byl-homocysteine,Dl-homocysteine and homocystine whereas neuronal uptake was unaffected by any of the compounds tested. The high affinity uptake of taurine into astrocytes was markedly inhibited byl-homocysteine,l-homocysteic acid andl-homocystine. High-affinity GABA uptake into astrocytes was notably inhibited byl-homocystine, none of the other compounds tested causing appreciable inhibition below a concentration of 5 mM. Neuronal and synaptosomal high-affinity uptake of GABA was not significantly affected by any of the test compounds at concentrations below 5 mM. The implication of these results to the study of the mechanism of homocysteine-induced seizures and their relevance to the genetic disorder homocystinuria is discussed.

Keywords

Taurine Genetic Disorder Test Compound Homocystinuria Gaba Uptake 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Plenum Publishing Corporation 1986

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ian C. Allen
    • 1
  • Arne Schousboe
    • 2
  • Roger Griffiths
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyUniversity of St. AndrewsSt. AndrewsScotland, U.K.
  2. 2.Department of Biochemistry A Panum InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenDenmark

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