Amino acid neurotransmitter release from cerebrocortical synaptosomes of sheep with severe ryegrass staggers in New Zealand.
Enhanced unstimulated release of the excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters aspartic acid and glutamic acid was measured in cerebrocortical synaptosomes prepared from sheep showing severe symptoms of ryegrass staggers. A similar pattern of deviation from neurologically normal animals was seen whether the sheep had contracted the disorder naturally or whether they had been deliberately caused to develop the disorder by grazing specific pastures rich in endophyte infected ryegrass. Deranged neurotransmitter release may reasonably be involved in the chemical pathology of ryegrass staggers and the findings are in accord with the putative synonymy of lolitrem toxicosis and ryegrass staggers.
D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000506:poisoning*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000378:metabolism*
D005971:Glutamates; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D009183:Mycotoxins; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C033673:lolitrem B; C033672:lolitrem A