title: Evidence that nitric oxide production increases gamma-amino butyric acid permeability of blood-brain barrier.
abstract: Blood-brain barrier permeability (BBB) to the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) was studied in rats following intraperitoneal (i.p) injections of GABA alone and in combination with L-Arginine (L-Arg). Administration of GABA (600 mg/kg body weight [b. wt.]) alone increased brain GABA concentration (33%, p < 0.01), when compared to untreated rats and administration of L-Arg (2000 mg/kg b. wt.) alone also increased GABA concentration (65%, p < 0.01) in the brain. Moreover, GABA + L-Arg treated brains showed a fourfold increase in GABA level (383.3%, p < 0.01) when compared to controls. Dose-dependent increase in nitric oxide production was observed 10 min after i.p injections of L-Arg (400, 800, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg b. wt.) and a peak nitric oxide (NO) production was observed at the dose level of 2000 mg/kg b. wt. On the other hand, administration of GABA failed to increase NO production in the brain. Rats pretreated (10 min) with a nonspecific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 50 mg/kg b. wt.) completely blocked the production of NO induced by L-Arg. In addition, L-NAME attenuated GABA entry into the brain after the administration of GABA alone or in combination with L-Arg. We conclude that high NO concentrations in the brain following L-Arg administration may increase the permeability of BBB to peripheral GABA.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Biophysics and Crystallography, University of Madras, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shyamaladevi
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sujatha
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Subramanian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester