Effect of vigabatrin on glutamate dehydrogenase in the hippocampus of seizure prone gerbils.
Vigabatrin (VGB, gamma-vinyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)), an irreversible inhibitor of GABA transaminase, increases regional inhibitory effects by elevating GABA concentration and reducing glutamate synthesis. In the present study, changes in glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity and its immunoreactivity in the seizure prone gerbil hippocampus after treating VGB were investigated to identify the effect of VGB on energy and/or glutamate metabolism via GDH. In the VGB treated group, GDH immunoreactivity and its activity in the hippocampus were significantly decreased, as compared with those of controls. These findings suggest that VGB administration may suppress the development and spread of seizures not only by elevating the level of GABA, but also by affecting the glutamate signaling and energy metabolism in neurons.
Kang
Tae-Cheon
TC
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chunchon 200-702, South Korea. tckang@hallym.ac.kr
An
Sung-Jin
SJ
Park
Seung-Kook
SK
Hwang
In Koo
IK
Choi
Soo Young
SY
Kwon
Oh-Shin
OS
Won
Moo Ho
MH
D000818:Animals; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005849:Gerbillinae; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D020888:Vigabatrin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase; D020888:Vigabatrin