title: Marked increase of cysteine levels in many regions of the brain after administration of 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate.
abstract: Although brain cysteine levels can be increased by administration of cysteine, treatment with this amino acid causes toxicity. L-2-Oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate, a compound in which the thiol group is masked, is effectively transported into the mouse and rat brain. It is converted intracellularly by the action of 5-oxoprolinase into L-cysteine. Study of various regions of the rat brain (cerebellum, hypothalamus, cortex, brain stem, pons, caudate nucleus) showed that the levels of cysteine increased significantly after administration of L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate. Glutathione levels were not increased or were only slightly increased under these conditions, reflecting the low rate of glutathione synthesis in many regions of the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meister
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000378:metabolism; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011149:Pons / Q000378:metabolism; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053778:Thiazolidines
chemical_list: D013844:Thiazoles; D053778:Thiazolidines; D005978:Glutathione; D003545:Cysteine; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid; C029536:2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid