title: Amino acids and transaminases activity in ventricular CSF and in brain of normal and Alzheimer patients.
abstract: The present study was conducted to determine the concentration of amino acids in the cerebrospinal spinal fluid (CSF) and the activities of two tramsaminases: glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) in human Alzheimer disease (AD) and normal brain. L-glutamic acid, L-glutamine and L-alanine are the most abundant amino acids in the CSF (50-55% of total amino acids). L-glutamine occurs at much higher levels in Alzheimer CSF compared to the normal CSF (229+/-91.8 nmol/ml in AD versus 107+/-47.2 nmol/ml in normal; P=0.0041). In contrast, L-aspartate occurs at significantly lower concentrations in Alzheimer CSF than normal CSF (46.1+/-25.7 nmol/ml in Alzheimer versus 95.2+/-52.6 nmol/ml in normal; P=0.020). In Alzheimer brain (frontal, parietal and occipital cortices) GOT is present at significantly higher activities than in normal brain cortices (about 1.5 times higher; P<0.01). No significant differences for GPT activity occurred between normal and AD brain. Since CSF receives amino acids from brain tissues, and since GOT catalyzes the conversion of L-aspartate to L-glutamate, the higher concentrations of L-glutamine (which is derived from L-glutamate), and the lower concentrations of L-aspartate found in Alzheimer CSF could be considered as a consequence of the higher activity of GOT that occurs in Alzheimer brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Stazione Zoologica A. Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy. daniello@szn.it
authors.forename: Antimo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Aniello
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Migliaccio
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cammisa
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Aniello
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spinelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D000637:Transaminases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005973:Glutamine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000637:Transaminases; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase