Does dietary tryptophan play a role in the control of convulsive activity?
The convulsive response to pentylenetetrazol was investigated in rats receiving different dietary tryptophan inputs. In the first experiment the animals were fed either a corn or a corn-supplemented diet. In the second one they received either a control diet supplemented with tryptophan, a low-protein/high-carbohydrate diet, or a low-protein/high-carbohydrate tryptophan-supplemented diet. The control groups for both experiments were fed a diet containing 22% milk protein. The corn diet facilitated seizures; the low-protein/high-carbohydrate/tryptophan diet prevented seizures. These results suggest that the brain serotonin levels determined by dietary tryptophan, or tryptophan by itself, could play a role in the convulsive response.
Cabral-Filho
J E
JE
Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brasil.
Castro
R M
RM
Teodósio
N R
NR
Barreira
A M
AM
Alécio-de-Oliveira
E J
EJ
D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology*; D003313:Zea mays
D014364:Tryptophan; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole