title: Effects of delta-aminolaevulinic acid, porphobilinogen and structurally related amino acids on 2-deoxy-glucose uptake in cultured neurons.
abstract: The effects of delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA), porphobilinogen (PBG), gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA), muscimol, glutamic acid and kainic acid on [3H]2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake by cultured neurons were investigated. Exposure to the cultures for 4 days, to ALA at concentrations as low as 10 microM caused a significant, dose-dependent decrease in [3H] 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake. Neither ALA nor PBG appeared to interfere directly with glucose transport into the neuron but 1 mM ALA caused an initial stimulation of [3H] 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake which increased to a maximum after 4 hr and fell to below control values after 19 hr exposure. GABA and muscimol caused similar increases in [3H] 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake but these values remained above control levels after 19 hr exposure. Glutamic acid and kainic acid caused an immediate increase in [3H] 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake which declined to minimum values after 4 hr exposure. The effect of ALA on glucose utilization in neurons may be of particular relevance to patients with acute porphyria where a genetic lesion in neural haem and haemoprotein biosynthesis is postulated to occur. ALA appeared to be more toxic to the neurons than any of the other compounds tested, possibly causing a critical depletion of energy reserves and cell death.
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003837:Deoxy Sugars / Q000378:metabolism*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D007982:Levulinic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D011162:Porphobilinogen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003837:Deoxy Sugars; D005971:Glutamates; D007982:Levulinic Acids; D009118:Muscimol; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D011162:Porphobilinogen; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D007608:Kainic Acid