title: Effects of valproate on amino acid and monoamine concentrations in striatum of audiogenic seizure-prone Balb/c mice.
abstract: The effects of valproate on CNS concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glulamate (GLU), glutamine (GLN); dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and metabolites were examined in tissue extracts of caudate nucleus of genetic substrains of Balb/c mice susceptible (EP) or resistant (ER) to audiogenic seizures. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures observed in EP mice were inhibited by valproate, administered 1 h prior to testing, in a dose-response fashion. Concentrations of GABA, GLU, and GLN, which were lower in EP mice than in ER mice, were significantly increased by valproate at doses of 180 and 360 mg/kg. Concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) and hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), metabolites of DA and 5-HT, were substantially increased by valproate at these doses. The in situ activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was not significantly influenced by valproate, whereas a valproate-induced increase in tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) activity was observed in both striatum and in midbrain tegmentum. The data are consistent with the interpretation that anti-convulsive doses of valproate influences the intraneuronal metabolism of monoamines, GABA, and glutamate concurrently. Valproate's influence on the metabolism of both major inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (GLY amino acids in striatum could contribute to its anti-convulsive effects in genetically seizure prone mice, as well as to the accumulation of DA and 5-HT metabolites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3E OW3.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vriend
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Alexiuk
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D005973:Glutamine; D012701:Serotonin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D014635:Valproic Acid; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D005998:Glycine; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid