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Amino acid transport through the blood-retinal and the blood-brain barrier

  • Session I: The Ocular Barrier
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Abstract

The mechanisms controlling amino acid transport across the blood-brain barrier are described. The possible existence of carrier systems for amino acids in the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) similar to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) was investigated in rats by the uptake index method. The results indicate similar carrier systems in the BRB and the BBB for all amino acids studied except taurine, where a saturable uptake was found in the retina but not in the brain. Taurine constitutes a major fraction of the pool of free amino acids, not only in the retina but also in the brain. The significance of these findings is discussed with respect to retinal physiology and cellular metabolism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

    Albert Alm & Per Törnquist

Authors
  1. Albert Alm
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  2. Per Törnquist
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Alm, A., Törnquist, P. Amino acid transport through the blood-retinal and the blood-brain barrier. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 222, 177–178 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02133668

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02133668

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