title: Amino acid neurotransmitter levels in gliomas and their relationship to the incidence of epilepsy.
abstract: The cause of epilepsy due to gliomas is not known. Explanations that is due to mass effect, infiltration and site of the tumour appear insufficient. We have investigated the possibility that epilepsy due to gliomas is caused by interference with normal GABA and glutamate uptake and metabolism in the surrounding cortex. Analysis of human glioma biopsy specimens for the amino acid neurotransmitters and glutamine has shown that gliomas associated with epilepsy have a higher concentration of glutamine. This may be of importance since an elevated concentration of glutamine has been shown to be associated with the onset and severity of cobalt-induced epilepsy.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D005973:Glutamine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid