title: Intracerebral microdialysis of extracellular amino acids in the human epileptic focus.
abstract: Extracellular levels of aspartate (ASP), glutamate (GLU), serine (SER), asparagine (ASN), glycine (GLY), threonine (THR), arginine (ARG), alanine (ALA), taurine (TAU), tyrosine (TYR), phenylalanine (PHE), isoleucine (ILEU), and leucine (LEU) were monitored by using intracerebral microdialysis in seven patients with medically intractable epilepsy, undergoing epilepsy surgery. In association with focal seizures, dramatic increases of the extracellular ASP, GLU, GLY, and SER concentrations were observed. The other amino acids analyzed, including TAU, showed small changes. The results support the hypothesis that ASP, GLU, GLY, and possibly SER, play an important role in the mechanism of seizure activity and seizure-related brain damage in the human epileptic focus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ronne-Engström
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hillered
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flink
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spännare
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ungerstedt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carlson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D003956:Dialysis / Q000379:methods; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids