Abstract
Fulminant hepatic failure was induced in rabbits by intravenous administration of galactosamine hydrochloride. The animals were sacrified after 45 h and the hippocampus analyzed for free amino acids. In addition, free amino acids were measured in plasma and in the extracellular fluid of the hippocampus 20, 30 and 45 h after galactosamine injection. The extracellular fluid compartment was analyzed by slow perfusion of a thin dialysis tube which was implanted in the hippocampus one day prior to galactosamine administration. The amino acid concentration in the extracellular fluid agreed fairly well with that of the cerebrospinal fluid in the control situation. During development of hepatic failure, the plasma concentrations of all amino acids increased. The changes in extracellular amino acids were smaller, except for phosphoethanolamine and glutamate. The concentration ratio intra/extracellular amino acids decreased in the hippocampus for amino acids with a normally high concentration gradient.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blitzer, B. J., Waggoner, J. G., Jones, E. A., Gralnick, H. R., Towne, D., Butler, J., Weise, V., Kopin, I. J., Walters, I., Teychenne, P. F., Goodmann, D. C., andBerk, P. D. 1978. A model of fulminant hepatic failure in the rabbit. Gastroenterol. 74:664–671.
Conn, H. O., andLieberthal, M. M. 1979. The hepatic coma syndromes and lactulose. Williams and Wilkins.
Fischer, J. E., Rosen, H. M., Ebeid, A. M., James, J. H., Keane, J. M., andSoeters, P. B. 1976. The effect of normalization of plasma amino acids on hepatic encephalopathy in man. Surgery 80:77–91.
Folbergrova, J., Passoneau, J. V., Lowry, O. H., andSchulz, D. W. 1969. Glycogen, ammonia and released metabolites in the brain during seizures evoked by methionine sulfoximine. J. Neurochem. 16:191–203.
Hamberger, A., Hedquist, B., andNyström, B. 1979. Ammonium ion inhibition of evoked release of endogenous glutamate from hippocampus slices. J. Neurochem. 33:1295–1302.
Hamberger, A., Lindroth, P., andNyström, B. 1982. Regulation of glutamate biosynthesis and release in vitro by low levels of ammonium ions. Brain Research 237:339–350.
Hamberger, A., Jacobsson, I., Molin, S.-O., Nyström, B., Sandberg, M., andUngerstedt, U. 1982. Metabolic and transmitter compartments for glutamate. Pages 359–378.in Bradford, H., (ed.): Neurotransmitter Interaction and Compartmentation, Plenum Press.
Johnston, G. A. R., andKennedy, S. M. E. 1978. GABA receptors and phospholipids. Pages 507–516.in Fonnum F. (ed.) Amino Acids As Chemical Transmitters, Plenum Press.
Lajtha, A. 1968. Transport as control mechanism of cerebral metabolite levels. Progr. in Brain Res. 29:201–218.
Lehmann, A., Isacsson, H., andHamberger, A. 1983. Effects of in vivo administration of kainic acid on the extracellular amino acid pool in the rabbit hippocampus. J. Neurochem. 40:1314–1320.
Lehmann, A., andHamberger, A. 1984. A possible interrelationship between extracellular taurine and phosphoethanolamine in the hippocampus. J. Neurochem. 42:1286–1290.
Lindroth, P., andMopper, K. 1979. High performance liquid chromatographic determination of subpicomole amounts of amino acids by precolumn fluorescence derivatization witho-phthaldialdehyde. Analyt. Chem. 51:1667–1674.
Livingstone, A. S., Potvin, M., Goresky, C. A., Finlayson, M. H., andHinchey, E. J. 1977. Changes in the blood brain barrier in hepatic coma after hepatectomy in the rat. Gastroenterol. 73:697–704.
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., andRandall, R. J. 1951. Protein measurement with fine Foline phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193:265–275.
Lux, H. D., Loracher, C., andNeher, E. 1970. The action of ammonium on post-synaptic inhibition of cat spinal motoneurons. Exp. Brain Res. 11:431–447.
Moroni, F., Lombardi, G., Moneti, G., andCortesini, C. 1983. The release and neosynthesis of glutamic acid are increased in experimental models of hepatic encephalopathy. J. Neurochem. 40:850–854.
Perry, T. L., andHansen, S. H. 1969. Technical pitfalls leading to errors in the quantitation of plasma amino acids. Clin. Chim. Acta 25:53–58.
Raabe, W. A., andOnstad, G. R. 1982. Ammonia and methionine sulfoximine intoxication. Brain Research 242:291–298.
Record, C. O., Buxton, B., Chase, R. A., Curzon, G., Murray-Lyon, I. M., andWilliams, R. 1976. Plasma and brain amino acids in fulminant hepatic failure and their relationship to hepatic encephalopathy. Europ. J. Clin. Invest. 6:387–394.
Sandberg, M. 1982. An approach to the identification of neurotransmitters in the optic nerve. Thesis, University of Göteborg.
Schafer, D. F., Thakur, A. K., andJones, E. A. 1980. Acute hepatic coma and inhibitory neurotransmission: increase in gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in plasma and receptors in brain. Gastroenterol. 79:1123–0000.
Schafer, D. F., andJones, E. A. 1982. Hepatic encephalopathy and the gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter system. Lancet 1:18–20.
Van Gelder, N. M. 1981. Glutamic acid in nervous tissue and changes of the taurine content: Its implication in the treatment of epilepsy. Adv. Biochem. Psychopharmacol. 29:115–125.
Zanchin, G., Rigotti, P., Dussini, N., Vassanelli, P., andBattistin, L. 1979. Cerebral amino acids levels and uptake in rats after portacaval anastomosis: regional studies “in vivo”. J. Neurosci. Res. 4:301–310.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hamberger, A., Nyström, B. Extra- and intracellular amino acids in the hippocampus during development of hepatic encephalopathy. Neurochem Res 9, 1181–1192 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00973033
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00973033